The Story of Suzuka Tachibana: A Sword Art Online Side Story
by Shiori07
Summary: We all know what happened to Kirito in SAO, but what about the other players? Meet Suzuka, a timid girl who logs on one day with her sister, unaware of the consequences. Inside the death game, tragedy and heartbreak push her down an endless, dark road of isolation and into a sick, twisted game with Aincrad's worst. Can she be shown the light again? Cover by MayonataKarasu
1. Chapter 1: A Virtual World

Chapter One: A Virtual World

**Author's notes: I have edited chapters 1-3 and 22 so that they are more accurate and have better quality. Read them and enjoy my significantly better writing skills. And if you have not read them before, just enjoy what i think the lives of other players in SAO could have been like.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Sword Art Online nor do I own the plot, scenes, or any of the characters that came with it. I only own my original characters. Also, the text in this chapter said by anyone other than my original characters was borrowed from the subtitles from the anime of Sword Art Online. **

"In 2022, mankind finally built a full virtual environment."

2022/11/06 Sunday

"All right, we're under way! It's time for this week's MMO Stream. First we just had you watch a promotional video . . . Are we looking at the day of last week's launch? What could all these people in line be after? Sword Art Online! The one at the front of the line waited three days prior to launch. Amazing! Or is this just what any real gamer would do? On today's MMO Stream, we'll be covering the internationally famous Sword Art Online, AKA SAO! To be honest, none of the NerveGear software released so far has really taken advantage of the hardware. Yeah, they were crappy games, huh? But SAO was made by the NerveGear inventor, Akihiko Kayaba, and it's a long-awaited VR MMORPG. I can't wait! The beta testers all said it was incredible. I wish I could've gotten a copy too . . . Only 10,000 copies were sold in its first printing. It sold out online in seconds. And as you saw, hard-core fans bought all the store copies . . ."

The street was deserted and very quiet, especially for a Sunday afternoon. The trees all around were bare and the sky was cloudy, it looked as if it might snow. It was a cold, winter day; understandably, no one would want to be out anyway, at least, no one normal. Suddenly, a loud yell cut through the air and two girls came sprinting down the sidewalk. The girl in the lead was about a head taller than the other, with glossy, brown, waist-length hair and almond colored eyes. The girl falling behind looked like she didn't exercise regularly, but was as thin as a stick. Her eyes and hair were the same color as the other girl's, but her hair was chin-length and not as glossy.

The girl falling behind was running out of breath, but was trying her best to keep up with the other girl. The taller girl noticed this and slowed down so her companion could catch up to her and smiled as they drew even. They continued to run for several minutes until they reached the gate of a house. They rushed through the gate and into the house, breathing hard as they came to stand in the entryway. The taller girl had her hands on her hips while the smaller one was slightly bent over with her eyes closed, clutching a stitch in her side. After a moment she stood up straight, a smile on her face, then leaped into the air, one fist up.

"Yes! I can't believe we got to stay at the videogame store all night and buy Sword Art Online!" she yelled excitedly.

"Quiet down, Suzu-chan," the taller girl said with a laugh, "the neighbors might hear you."

"Sorry, Honoka-nee!" Suzuka said.

Honoka turned to her little sister. "So, are you ready to give this game a shot?"

"Yeah!" Suzuka said, and then hesitated. "Wait, don't you have something to do first?"

"Like what?"

Suzuka smirked. "Don't play dumb. You know. You need to call that boy back. What was his name again?"

"No. I don't need to do anything like that." Honoka said with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Why not?" Her sister asked slyly.

"You know perfectly well why."

Suzuka sighed. "Yeah, yeah." She bent down and began to take her shoes off. "So, let's go play with our new game!"

Honoka followed her lead. "I'm glad to see that you're into something other than manga and anime for once."

Suzuka blushed. "Shut up!" She said quickly. "A lot of my friends were really excited about this game and I think it's really cool, too."

"You and your otaku friends?"

Suzuka blushed deeper. "Come on. Just admit that you're interested in the full-dive system too."

Honoka chuckled. "True, I am." The idea of feeling like you live in a completely different world intrigued Honoka and she wanted to investigate.

The younger sister stepped up and toward the staircase. "Well, let's go."

"You get a head start. I'll leave a note for Kyou so she knows that we will log out in time for dinner."

"That's a good idea. That way she won't yank the NerveGear off of us while we're playing." Suzuka began to head up the steps. "See you there!" She yelled, running past several picture frames and doors to her room. The door closed behind her with a click as she hurried to her computer. She inserted the SAO software and powered the computer on. It made several beeping noises and a few lights lit up. Suzuka then plugged in the NerveGear and put the helmet on her head, plopping down on her bed and laying back onto her pillow afterwards. Inside the NerveGear, Suzuka could see the battery icon saying it was charging and the clock saying it was 1:02.

With a smirk, she opened her mouth and said the activation words. "Link start!"

Her vision turned white, then many colors rushed into her vision and icons began to appear as the NerveGear ran a routine self-check. Then, after logging into her account and creating her new avatar, Suzuka's vision turned completely white again and stayed that way for a few seconds. Soon, music played and the words "Welcome to Sword Art Online!" appeared. The color blue rushed into her vision and before she knew it, she was blinking at the sight of a town square.

Suzuka looked down at herself. It was incredible, like she was staring down at a real body. Looking around, she noticed that the people looked real as well. It was hard to believe that this was a virtual world. Excitement bubbled up inside her and, unable to contain herself, the girl jumped into the air and yelled, "This is amazing!"

Suzuka didn't know where to start so she began to run, speeding through crowds of people. She couldn't stop herself from occasionally stopping to look at the various stands that were set up though. The different weapons, clothes, and trinkets catching her eye. After a while, her endurance ran out and she had to stop to regain it. She stood, breathing deeply, her hands on her hips as she stared at everything arond her with a smile. _This place looks promising. I should make sure that Honoka-nee logged in before i get carried away._

The petite girl pulled up her menu, briefly looking at her map before selecting 'friends' and entering the username that Honoka told her that she would be using. She hadn't waited long before a pop-up appeared saying 'your friend request has been accepted.' Suzuka then sent a message to her sister saying 'meet at the western entrance of the town.' She then began to make her way to said entrance, referring to her map when she didn't know where to go.

Eventually, after weaving her way through many streets and alleys, Suzuka made it. A few people were there, talking, running, and testing their weapons, but the person that stood out to her, was a girl leaning against the wall, inspecting her sword. She looked similar to Honoka, the only real difference was that her skin was paler and her hair was blonde. As Suzuka made her way over to the girl, she noticed Suzuka and put her sword away.

"Is that you, Suzu-chan?" she asked.

Irritated, Suzuka said, "Yes, but you _do_ know that it's rude to bring matters of the real world into online games with you right? That includes real names. My name here is Felicita."

"Right," Her sister said. "I'm sorry. Can I call you Fel-chan then?"

"I suppose, you're forgiven, Kinade-san," Felicita said, using the name she suggested for her sister to use. "And I guess you can call me that."

Kinade came up and put an arm around her sister. "So, what now?" she asked. Felicita thought, then pulled out her sword with a grin.

"Let's see what this system can do, shall we?"

After that, they ran around the fields surrounding The Town of Beginnings and tested their skills on the wild boar monsters that roamed there. It was hard to describe how to work it but, after reading what was under 'help' in the menu, they figured out how to use their sword skills. They had to charge it, in a way, by holding their weapon like they were ready to strike, then, when it felt like it would burst, they lashed out. After a while, both of them became better at using their skills, but Felicita could see that Kinade was more of a natural at it than she was.

As the sun got lower in the sky, turning it a red orange, the girls laid in the grass on a hill and looked up at the sky, talking about the game.

"It's amazing," Felicita was saying, holding her sword up above her head. "Everything about this world feels real and you have the potential to go so far too."

Kinade nodded. "Yeah, but don't forget that the real world is just the same, you just don't use a sword."

Felicita let her sword drop to her side. "Uh-huh," was her reply.

Kinade sat up. "It _is_ really cool here, though, I have to admit. It's hard for me to believe that we're in a game."

Felicita continued to stare at the sky. It was so pretty and the air was cool, she felt as though she could take a nice, peaceful nap. A small ringing sound came from her left and she glanced in its direction. Kinade had pulled up her menu.

"It's 5:25, we better wrap this up soon so we can log-out in time for dinner." The older sister said as she looked at her menu. Then, she gestured to something out of her sister's vision. "You want to take care of that one and then head home?"

The younger girl sat up. A wild boar had come to the bottom of the hill as they had been talking. It was grazing, not paying much attention to them. "Sure," she said as she pulled out her sword. She stood up and held her weapon at the ready. She took a moment, then she sprinted toward the monster. It noticed and turned toward her, pawing the ground as it prepared to charge. Felicita got closer and the boar squealed before charging at full-speed.

Sh was so focused on the task at hand, that she was startled by the sudden bells tolling in the distance. She looked around in confusion.

"Fel-chan!"

_Crap, I lost my focus!_ Felicita looked back at her opponent but it was too late to defend herself. She flinched even though she knew it wouldn't hurt. Then, there was a shattering sound, and Felicita felt herself being caught by someone. Opening her eyes, she found herself being steadied by the hands of her sister.

"You okay?" Kinade asked.

"Yeah," Felicita said, a little startled at how her sister had saved her so quickly. "But what _is_ that?" she asked, referring to the tolling.

"I'm not sure." Her sister said as they turned there heads in the direction of the cacophony. Then

Suddenly, a blue-ish fire enveloped them. They both gasped in surprise. Then, much to their confusion, they appeared in a large square.

"What?" Felicita said looking around. Why were they back in the town of beginnings?

"Suzu-chan, what's happening?" Kinade asked.

Felicita was too startled to get angry about Kinade calling her by her real name. "Someone must have forced a teleport." She answered. Then she looked up and saw a blinking red warning sign in the sky. "Look!" She said to her older sister, pointing at it.

The signs multiplied, some saying "Warning," others saying "System Announcement." Then something seemed to ooze between them. It looked disturbingly like blood. It dripped down and gathered in mid-air, bulging up and taking a shape, a hooded human figure. It looked like a game master. Felicita relaxed a little. This was probably just some weird official opening ceremony. It was unsettling that he didn't have a face though.

Then he began to speak. "Attention, players." His voice rang throughout the square. "Welcome to my world. My name is Akihiko Kayaba. As of this moment, I am the only person able to control this world."

Felicita and Kinade looked at each other for a moment. _Akihiko Kayaba? Control the world? This was obviously some kind of joke._

Kayaba continued to speak. "I'm sure you've already noticed that the 'log-out' button is missing from the main menu."

"What?" Felicita checked her menu, gaped when the button in question was missing, then frantically searched through her menu. _Where is it?_

"But this is not a defect in the game." The hooded figure was saying. "I repeat, this is not a defect in the game, but a key feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot log-out of SAO of your own will, and no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit powerful microwaves, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."

"That can't be true." Felicita heard her sister say.

Kayaba spoke again. "Unfortunately, there have been several instances where players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and attempted to forcibly remove the NerveGear. As a result, 213 players have exited permanently, from both Aincrad and the real world. As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting on this situation, including the multiple deaths." Many screens appeared next to the figure, circling him. On them was news coverage of the deaths involved with SAO and pictures of several victims. "Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed has been reduced. So, I would like you all to focus on clearing the game. But be sure to keep this in mind, there is no longer any function to revive someone within the game. The instant your HP drops to zero, your avatars will vanish forever, and simultaneously, your brains will be destroyed by the NerveGear." Felicita imagined herself shattering just like the boars they had fought in the fields and found herself unable to breathe. All of this-it must be some sick joke or a weird nightmare.

"The one condition for your escape is to complete this game." He pulled up a map. "You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, floor one. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level." An entire map of Aincrad could be seen now and red lights began to appear in spots between each floor. "Defeat the final boss on floor 100 and you will clear the game."

Felicita gasped. "All 100?" It seemed like a very daunting task. No way could they do it.

"Now then, finally, I've provided you all with a present in your item storage. Please see for yourselves."

Felicita did it without really thinking about it. She opened her menu and went to her item storage. She tapped on the only item that popped up. A mirror? She looked into it, her avatar's face staring back at her. _What the hell is this for?_ Then a blue-ish light appeared in the corner of her eye. She looked over and her sister screamed as she was engulfed in the flames. "Onee-chan!" Felicita screamed just as the flames enveloped her as well.

The flames disappeared as quickly as they appeared and Felicita was standing there as if nothing happened. She looked down at herself. Nothing seemed terribly wrong. Except . . .

"Suzu-chan?" Felicita looked up. Her sister looked at her with a surprised expression. Felicita was surprised as well. Her sister looked like her sister again, her skin tone and hair color looked like they did in the real world. Then that could mean . . .

Felicita looked at the mirror in her hands. She didn't look like Felicita anymore. She looked like how she did in the real world; like Suzuka Tachibana once again.

"How?" Felicita asked.

Kinade understood what she meant. "The NerveGear covers your whole head so it knows what you look like, and it asked you to do a calibration thing when we first installed it, remember? So it knows our body type."

"Why would Kayaba make us look like our normal selves? Why would he do this?"

Akihiko Kayaba began to talk again, as if he had heard her question. "Right now, you must all be wondering, 'Why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do such a thing?' My goal has been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason . . . to create this world and meddle in it. And now, all is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. I wish you luck, players." The hooded figure began to dissolve and the blood went back through the red signs in the virtual sky. Then they disappeared and the sky went back to normal, as if everyone hadn't been given (in essence) a death sentence.

Everyone in the square was silent for what seemed like an eternity, to shocled and in too much denial to do anything . Then someone screamed 'No!', the word acting as a spark, and the crowd began to stir. Eventually everyone was screaming, yelling their disbelief, fear, and anger. The fire was ablaze.

The Tachibana sisters stared at each other, both scared and full of shock. They could not find the strength to move pr say anything in the midst of the rioting crowd.

They were definitely going to be late for dinner.

**Author's Notes: REVISED! As the first chapter, it is a bit boring. Please understand that, those of you who are reading this for the first time. I hate it when people only glance at the first chapter before deciding not to read a book. For those who are not new, I hope that you appreciated this revision. Please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Bonds

Chapter Two: Bonds

**A/N: I have edited chapters 1-3 and 22 for better quality and accuracy.**

**This will probably be the last time I use events from the anime.**

**Disclaimer: For this chapter, I borrowed dialogue for all of the characters other my OC's and Silica from the anime of SAO.**

"In the game's first month, 2,000 people died. Floor one has yet to be cleared."

2022/12/02

Felicita and Kinade sat in the stands around the area the boss meeting was being held in. Neither of them had much confidence that they could help find, let alone _defeatv_, the boss, but they both felt that they had to do _something_ in the matter.

Felicita looked around. Not many people had gathered, but she figured it was better than _no one_ showing up. She turned to her sister. "Is this really going to work?" she asked.

"You never know," Kinade answered. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't. We won't know unless we give it a shot."

"Yeah." Felicita said leaning back on the step behind her with her elbows. "But why do you always have to say things like that, all philosophical-like."

Kinade laughed. Then she looked down at the guy that had suddenly walked to the front. "The meeting's starting." was all she said.

The guy began to speak. "Okay, let's get started people! Thank you for responding to my summons today. My name is Diabel. My job is . . . in my own mind, I like to think I'm a 'knight.'" There was some laughing from the crowd. Felicita just smirked in amusement.

"You should take this seriously!" Diabel continued, his face becoming serious. "Today, our party discovered the boss room at the top of the tower." Felicita sat up, surprised. "We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it _is_ possible to beat this game. And that's the duty of every one of us here now! Isn't that right everybody?" There was muttering in the crowd, then people began to clap, there were even a few people whistling.

"Then without further delay, I'd like to get this boss-raid meeting started." Diabel said, putting his hands out. "First, I want you to team up into parties of six. A conventional party has no chance against a Floor Boss. We'll need to form a raid group using multiple parties."

Kinade elbowed her sister. "Well we're two, right?" She said with a grin.

"Yeah," Felicita smiled back, giving her sister a high-five. "So, who will be the rest of our party?"

The girls looked around. Everyone else seemed to know everyone else so parties formed among them automatically. Felicita and Kinade had mostly kept to themselves since SAO started so they were not going to form a party as easily. Felicita continued to look until she noticed a girl sitting by herself. Her hair was brown and in small pigtails. Felicita got up and went over to her, Kinade following close behind.

Felicita sat next to the girl, who looked up at her with a slightly surprised blink of her eyes. Felicita smiled. "Hi," she began. "Do you have a party yet?" The girl shook her head. "Do you want to join _us_?" Felicita asked, a little nervously, gesturing to herself and her sister who waved.

"Really?" The girl asked. Felicita nodded. "Okay." She said timidly. Kinade sent her a party invitation and she accepted, becoming a member of their party.

Another health bar appeared under theirs in Felicita's vision. Felicita put her hand out. "My name's Felicita. What's yours?"

The girl took her hand. "I'm Silica." She said a little shakily.

Silica then took Kinade's outstretched hand. "I'm Kinade." Kinade said. "Nice to meet you." The three girls smiled at each other until a voice interrupted them.

"Hey," The girls looked up to see two guys and a girl stood next to them. One boy spoke. "I'm Ryner." He said. Then he gestured to the girl next to him and then the other guy. "This is Riku and Toma. We could only make a party of three. Seems you have the same problem. Maybe we could help each other out." Kinade and Felicita looked at each other. They had no other choice so their six person party was formed.

"Okay, are you done forming your parties?" Diabel asked the group at large. "Then-"

"Hold up a second!" Someone jumped down out of the stands. "My name's Kibaou." He said. "There's something I wanna say before we take on the boss. Some of you here need to apologize to the 2,000 who have died so far!" People in the crowd began to mutter. Felicita sighed. Who did this guy think he was?

Diabel spoke. "Kibaou, these people you're referring to . . . do you mean the ex-beta testers, perhaps?"

"Of course I do!" Kibaou shouted. "On the day this stupid game started, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared. They took all the good hunting spots and easy quests for themselves, so they were the only ones getting stronger. And since then, they've just ignored the rest of us. There's got to be some of them here! Guys who were beta testers! We should make them get on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they've hoarded. As party members, we can't trust them with our lives, and they can't trust us!"

There was silence. People were looking around suspiciously at each other. Peraonally, Felicita thought this guy was ridiculous. Did he not know about the free guidebook the beta testers put together that was being handed out at all the item stores? Besides, the beta version always changes when it becomes an official game, so it was not guaranteed that everything the beta testers knew was still true. They were basically in the same boat as everyone else.

"Can I say something?" A large man in front with dark skin raised his hand and stood up. He walked up to Kibaou and said "My name is Agil. Kibaou, let me get this straight . . . You're saying that because the ex-beta testers didn't take care of them, many beginners died. That they should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation."

"Y-Yeah." Kibaou said.

"You received this guidebook too, didn't you?" He pulled out a small, brown, leather bound book. "It _is_ provided for free at the item store, after all."

"Sure, I got it . . . So what if I did?"

"It was the beta-testers who were distributing these."

Some people in the crowd were surprised by this information. Felicita just looked at Agil, umfazed. _Finally. Someone with sense._

"Listen up." Agil said, turning toward the crowd. "Everyone had equal access to this information. And yet many players still died. What to learn from those failures and how to try to defeat the boss . . . That's what I thought we'd be discussing here." He looked back at Kibaou. They seemed to have a stare-down before Kibaou looked away and they both sat back down.

"Okay, can we resume the meeting now?" Diabel asked. Several people nodded. "As for information on the boss . . . Actually, the latest edition of that guidebook was just issued." He held up another book similar to Agil's. "According to it, the boss's name is Ilfang the Kobold Lord. Also, he has an entourage known as the Ruin Kobold Sentinels. The boss is armed with an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one is in red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes too." The crowd muttered again as Diabel closed the guidebook. "This concludes the briefing. Lastly, regarding item distribution, money will be automatically divided equally. EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster. And whoever receives an item keeps it. Any objections?" there was more muttering, but no one objected. "Okay, we leave tomorrow at 10 in the morning. All right . . . dismissed!"

* * *

Kinade walked into the room that Felicita was renting at the inn for the night. She threw something at her and said "Here, I bought dinner."

Felicita caught it. "These bread things again?" She asked.

"What? _I_ like them." Kinade said, taking a bite.

"It's not that I don't _like_ them." Felicita said, also taking a bite. "It's just that we've been eating the same thing for a while now. It's getting a little dull." She sat on the edge of her bed. "Do you have any cream left from that quest we did in the last town?"

Kinade shook her head. "No, we used it up yesterday."

"Aw." Felicita laid back on her bed. "That stuff was good."

They finished their dinner in silence. As Felicita ate, all she could think about was the next day. She couldn't deny it, she was a little scared.

"Hey, we'll be fine tomorrow, okay?" The older sister said, obviously noticing her sibling's unease.

Felicita sat up. "I know that _you_ will be," she said. "But I can't help feeling that I may die tomorrow." She gripped her hands together, remembering the day they finally left the Town of Beginnings.

They had been running along the path to the next town. It was almost like when they were racing home with the SAO software, Kinade was in front and Felicita was in the back. They had to be careful or else they would be attacked by monsters. Apparently they had not been careful enough because they were soon ambushed by a pack of wolves.

Felicita managed to kill one, but another one scratched her from behind, reducing her HP by half. Kinade screamed her name and Felicita was in danger of being overrun. She closed her eyes, thinking it was over. Then there were several shattering sounds. Felicita opened her eyes, shocked. Kinade had saved her again. The younger sister could not believe what she was seeing. Kinade had been a ways away when they were attacked, she was so fast and . . . amazing.

Kinade came to sit on the bed and put her hands on her sister's. "You'll be fine. I promise. I'll always protect you. That's my goal remember?"

Felicita looked at her sister, she remembered. Of course she did. How could she forget?

* * *

They were in their room in the real world, when they were younger and had shared a room. Suzuka was crying into her pillow and Honoka was sitting next to her, an arm around her shoulders.

"Why?" Suzuka asked between sobs. "Why would they leave? Don't they love us?" Honoka didn't know how to respond, all she could do was pat her younger sister's back. They sat like that for a while, a depressed feeling in the air between them. Then, after Suzuka calmed down a little, she looked at her sister. "Is it _our_ fault? Is it _my_ fault?"

"No! It's not." Honoka said as she cupped her sister's face in her hands, looking into her eyes. "Do you understand? It's not your fault." Suzuka didn't know what to say. All she could do was cry. Honoka felt her heart breaking as she quickly pulled her sister into an embrace. Eventually, she let go and went to her own bed. She barely sat there for a moment before she grabbed her pillow and threw it against the wall. "It's _their_ fault!" she growled, going over to the pillow on the floor. She began to punch it repeatedly, saying "_They_ did this!" every other punch.

Finally Suzuka tried to calm her down. "Um, Honoka-nee-"

Honoka interrupted her chant to say one sentence. "I promise that I'll take care of you, Suzuka, better than _they_ ever could!"

* * *

Felicita smiled. "Yeah, I remember."

* * *

2022/12/03

They were walking with the boss raid group through the Floor One Forest Field. No one was talking much as they went along. Some were going over the strategy while others were trying to ease the tension with small talk, but that was really it as everyone was nervous about fighting the first boss.

In front of the boss room, Diabel turned and put his sword into the ground. "Listen up, everyone," he said. "I have only one thing to say. Let's win!" Kinade put a hand on Felicita's shoulder, catching her attention. The petite girl turned to look at her sister who gave her an encouraging nod and a smile. Felicita couldn't bring herself to smile, but she gave a determined nod in response.

"Let's go!" Diabel shouted. He turned and opened the doors to the boss room.

It was dark at first, but then light slowly lit up the long room, revealing columns that lined the wide path to a large throne in the back. Sitting in the throne was a figure reminiscent of a large, dog with glowing, red eyes. The group stepped in and bright lights blared, the stone walls turning into stain glass windows. Ilfang the Kobold Lord leaped toward them, his four sentinels appearing around him, they looked like miniature versions of him, only they had armor.

"Commence attack!" Diabel yelled. The parties charged toward their enemies.

Felicita could not remember the majority of the beginning of the fight, all she could remember was Diabel shouting orders and the slash of her sword. She couldn't help but watch her sister fight though, who was so graceful and quick that she looked like she was dancing.

"Fel-chan!" Kinade screamed as Felicita was knocked into the air by a sentinel.

"I got her!" Someone yelled just before Felicita was caught by someone from behind. The momentum sent them both sprawling, but Felicita definitely would have taken more damage if she hadn't been caught. She looked up so see her savior and was surprised to see Ryner. Felicita was stunned by his act pf heroism, but she couldn't help but feel very conscious of the fact that she was still half laying on him and his arms were around her waist. "You okay?" he asked with a grimace.

Felicita was pretty sure that, if she were in the real world, she would be blushing. Actually, she was starting to think that she _was_ blushing. "Yeah, I mean, I'm sorry! Are you okay? You didn't have to catch me!" Felicita scrambled as she got off and knelt beside him.

Ryner propped himself on his elbows. " Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Anyway, we're in a party, so we look out for each other, right?" He smiled at her before looking at the battle. "I should get back." He stood up and got out a small bottle. "Here," he said, handing it to Felicita. "Come back to the battle when your HP is up, okay?" Before she could say another word, he charged back into the fray.

Silica ran to Felicita. "Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked frantically.

Felicita looked at her. "A little, but I'll be fine." She answered, then looked at the red liquid in the bottle Ryner gave her. She drank it and her HP went from the yellow back into the green. As she finished it, the bottle shattered in her hands. Felicita made a mental note to herself to pay Ryner back for it later.

Then a roar came from the boss, its last health bar was red.

Felicita stood up, ready for a fight. "Ready, Silica?"

Silica stood up too. "Yeah!" she answered determinedly, and together they ran back into the fight as the boss threw his axe and buckler away.

"Looks like the information was right." Kibaou said.

"Stand back, I'll go!" Diabel yelled, rushing forward.

Felicita briefly registered that he was deviating from the plan, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She and Silica joined their party as they fought off one of the sentinels. Kinade, Riku, Ryner, and Toma were doing pretty well with it. They switched in sync, barely needing to talk to each other before doing it. But, unaware to them, one was coming up on Kinade from behind.

"Silica!" Felicita yelled.

"Right!"

They charged the sentinel behind Kinade. She had barely turned before the sentinel slashed at her. Before its weapon made any sort of contact, Felicita hit the poleaxe away and Silica switched with her to deliver a blow.

"I thought you could use some help." Felicita said to her sister.

Kinade blinked in surprise before smiling. "Thanks Fel-chan." After that, the party continued to work together, successfully defeating both sentinels, the finishing blows executed by Kinade and Toma. They finished just in time to watch the leftover party of two defeat the boss. Ilfang the Kobold Lord shattered and everyone erupted into cheers and shouts of triumph. Felicita hugged Silica, then Kinade. She couldn't stop smiling and cheering, she was so relieved.

After the lights dimmed and the walls became stone again, everyone calmed down as Agil and a girl in red and white congratulated the boy who got the last attacking bonus.

"Good work." The girl said.

"That was splendid swordsmanship." Agil added. "Congratulations. This victory belongs to you."

"No . . ." he said looking up at them. He was still kneeling on the ground from the battle. Then everyone started cheering for him, Felicita included, he and that girl had been amazing.

"Why?" Someone yelled out of the blue. Everyone looked around to see Kibaou sitting on the ground near the back. "Why . . . Why did you let Diabel die?"

Shocked, Felicita quickly spun her head around looking for their leader. She couldn't see him anywhere.

"Let him die?" The boy asked.

"Of course!" Kibaou yelled again. "You knew that technique the boss would use! If you'd given us that information up front, he wouldn't have died!" There was muttering and people began to glance at the boy still kneeling on the ground.

"He must be an ex-beta tester!" Someone yelled. "That's how he knew all about the boss's attack patterns. He knew, but he kept it from us!"

_Could that be true? Had he known?_ Felicita studied the boy for a moment. He still kneeling, staring over his shoulder at everyone else. The longer Felicita stared, the less threatening he appeared to be.

"There's gotta be others here too, right? Those beta testers! Come out!"

People looked at each other suspiciously, some put their hands on their weapons. Agil and the girl in red and white went over to try and calm everyone down.

Then, the eeriest thing happened. The boy began to laugh. Everyone else grew quiet, but he continued, getting louder as he did so. Then he stopped and said "An ex-beta tester, did you say?" Humor was still in his voice. "I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies."

"Wh-what?" Kibaou spluttered.

The "ex-beta tester" continued to speak. "Most of the 1,000 people who won SAO beta test slots were beginners who didn't even know how to level up. Even you guys are better than them." He had walked up to Kibaou at this point and now he stood in front of him. "But I'm not like those guys. During the beta test, I made it to higher levels than anyone else was able to reach. The reason I knew about the boss's sword skills was because I fought tons of monsters with these skills on the floors far above us. I know lots of other things too, way more than any information broker."

"Wh-what?" Kibaou said again. "That's . . . That's way worse than a beta tester! That's cheating! You're a cheater. That's what you are!"

"A cheater!" people were saying. "A beta tester and a cheater. A Beater!" Felicita stayed quiet, she continued to look at this "beater." Somehow, she was skeptical about what he was saying.

"A beater . . ." the boy said. "That's a good name." People gasped. "That's right . . . I _am_ a beater." He pulled up his menu. "From now on, don't confuse me with the other testers." He selected something and a black coat appeared on his shoulders. After it settled he looked back at Kibaou and laughed, as if amused. Then he turned and walked to the door to the next floor.

* * *

On the next floor, Felicita's party was gathered in a clearing. Felicita, Kinade, Ryner, Riku, and Toma were grouped together, Felicita set out a little farther away. She was facing Silica who was all by herself a small distance away. Felcita was nervous and Silica was confused as to why they were there.

"So," Silica began. "What did you want to talk about, guys?"

"It's mostly Felicita who wants to talk to you." Ryner said, smirking.

"Just hear her out already." said Toma, who looked bored. "It's important to her; she needs to get it off of her chest."

Felicita shuffled her feet. "Silica, I have something to say." She said. "But please don't laugh if you think what I say is stupid because it's from my heart."

Silica blushed. "Wait! I don't think I'm ready for something like this yet! I don't know how I am going to react!"

Felicita came up to Silica and grasped both of her hands. "Please," she pleaded. "I need to say this now or I will regret keeping it to myself forever."

Silica looked into Felicita's eyes. "Okay, I'll hear you out."

"Silica, I want to ask . . ." Felicita faultered. "I want to know if . . ." she had a hard time getting it out. Then, she decided that she needed to ask and if she got rejected, so be it. "I want to know if you'll form a guild with us!"

Silica was stunned for a moment. Then, with a burst of excitement she squealed "Yes!" Felicita whooped in delight as Silica continued to hold her hands, jumping up and down in excitement.

"You know," Ryner said to the others. "The way this panned out made the situation seem a little different from what it actually was."

Kinade shrugged. "You may be right. But it was Fel-chan's idea to form a guild with our party from the boss raid." She watched as Silica continued to lead her sister in a weird dance. "She had the right to ask. And anyway, it wasn't a bad idea. Her reasoning was that we worked really well together while fighting the sentinels and I'd have to agree, we could all go far together."

The four seemingly more mature members of their new guild watched Felicita and Silica sit in the grass as they began to discuss the possible names for their new group.

**A/N: There, that's better. I realized that Felicita's personality changes a little too drastically from beginning to my latest work, so i am fixing that so she's more like what she is later on. **


	3. Chapter 3: The Timber Wolves

Chapter Three: The Timber Wolves

**A/N: Chapters 1-3 and 22 are still updated!**

**For those of you that are wondering, yes, the actual main characters from SAO will be interacting with mine in this story, so not to worry. I had already planned for Kirito to be important too, he should be in the next chapter. Still thanking Maria Penner for the support.**

2023/03/06

It's been a little over four months since the small guild, the Timber Wolves, was created. They were currently staying at an inn on Floor 24 and were trying to earn enough col to buy their own house. Right now they were in the dungeon on Floor 25, training.

"Come on! Let's get a move on!" Toma yelled.

"Why-hy-hy-hy?" Ryner complained.

"Because we should have finished by now." Toma snapped.

"Well excuse me."

"Guys." Kinade cut in. "Let's get along, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." Ryner saluted while Toma just made a 'tch' sound and kept walking.

The atmosphere had been like this for a while now, and Felicita wasn't sure what to think. Maybe they were like this because they were tired, or had been in this dungeon since seven and it was now well passed noon, but there was now great tension between them. Stuff like this had happened on occasion before, but something about this time just seemed different.

"Felicita, you're dragging behind!" Toma said harshly.

With a start, the girl realized that she was going slowly compared to everyone else, and scurried to catch up. She ended up walking next to Silica and Riku, who had actually become really good friends with her.

"Are you ok, Felicita-san?"

The girl looked at Riku. For some reason, she didn't call them by more familiar names, even though she had been given permission to.

"Oh. I'm fine." Riku gave her a skeptical look. "Really! It's nothing!"

"Mm-hm." Silica said, obviously not believing her. "If you say so." She smiled innocently as she came to stand beside Felicita, her hands behind her back. "But if you ever want to talk about it, let us know!" A small, blue dragon perched on her shoulder, squawked in a soft agreement. A few floors below, they had found this dragon in a forest and Silica, finding it to be absolutely adorable even after it had bitten Ryner, decided to keep it as a pet, thus becoming a beast tamer.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, Silica."

* * *

Felicita stared at the large creature in front of her; it looked like a large wolf-man. It bared its fangs at her and tried to swipe its claws at her neck. Felicita froze on the spot with fear. A sword appeared and blocked the hit, pushing the beast back.

"Fel-chan, you need to focus!" Kinade yelled at her younger sister as she rushed up to engage the monster.

Felicita mentally shook. _Get it together!_ she thought before she charged and switched with her sister. She was only able to strike once before being knocked away. The wolf-man then charged Kinade. Riku, however, stepped in and knocked the monster aside with her mace. These three girls were fighting one wolf-man while Ryner, Toma, and Silica were fighting another. Felicita couldn't help but admire them and feel a little . . . inferior. They were so much better at fighting than she was.

Kinade and Riku were confronting their beast. Kinade slashed at it, then Riku switched in with her, only to be knocked aside and into Kinade. They both fell to the ground, the beast charging at them. Felicita's heart dropped. She quickly rushed up to try and help but the monster barely slowed down to knock her off her feet, bringing her HP into the yellow.

The wolf-man was about to finish Kinade and Riku off when Toma suddenly yelled and stabbed the monster from behind with his lance. It shattered before them and its data disappeared into the air. Toma looked pissed. "Can I not leave you alone to handle _anything_ by yourselves?" He asked angrily.

Just then, Silica screamed. She had been knocked to the floor, her sword out of reach and watched as Ryner was held up by his throat; the monster's claw was tight around his neck. Kinade reacted swiftly. She rolled from her back onto her hands and knees then rushed at the monster, stabbing it in the middle. It shattered like its companion had, letting Ryner drop to the ground gasping for breath, barely able to let rasp a "thank you" as Kinade went over to kneel beside him.

"I thought you guys said you could handle him." Toma said to Silica and Ryner, an edge to his voice.

"We underestimated him." Ryner said simply, still lying on the ground.

Silica picked up her sword and went over to Felicita to heal her with a healing crystal. A small, blue dragon was now perched on her shoulder. It seemed to shoot Silica with dust, raising her HP.

"We're never going to get anywhere if you keep 'underestimating' our opponents." Toma spat. "Kinade and I can't save your asses all the time."

Kinade stood up and glared at him. "Mind your attitude, Toma. The point of us training in dungeons is to get stronger so that one day we may be able to fight on the front lines. Now is not the time for criticism."

"You and I could be on the front lines right now if these weaklings weren't holding us back." Toma said with contempt in his voice.

"Then why don't you leave?" Ryner asked irritably. "You're beginning to really piss me off with your arrogant attitude, anyway."

Toma held his lance out, ready to attack. The weapon glowed green as the skill was activated. "Are you looking for a fight?" he asked coldly. Ryner reached for his sword, but before he could grab it, Kinade stepped toward Toma, her sword pointed at him. Felicita then stood in front of Ryner protectively, Silica and Riku following her lead. The lance user looked slightly shocked.

"You should leave now, Toma-san." Riku said.

Toma looked at the rest of the guild, seeing if that was what they all wanted. "Fine," he finally said. "I was already thinking about leaving this crappy guild anyway." He began to walk away, then without turning around, he asked "Are you going to do the same, Kinade? We could really become stronger players if we left these losers behind."

Kinade answered coldly "You and I have different definitions of strength, Toma, if you believe we can obtain it by leaving our friends behind."

"Tch. Then you're as weak as they are." He said before using a crystal to teleport.

"Bastard." Ryner said, still on the ground.

"What should we do know Kinade-san?" Riku asked.

Kinade thought for a few seconds. "We can do without him." She said finally. She looked around at her guild mates. "We rest for a few minutes then go back home." She announced. No one argued with her. After a little bit of silence, Kinade swiped her right hand in front of her and browsed her menu.

Felicita turned to Ryner. "Are you ok?" she asked tentatively, holding a hand out to help him up.

He took it and Felicita pulled him up. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks to your sister." He smiled. Felicita then noticed that she was still holding his hand. She quickly let go and turned away blushing.

"Yeah. She's a good fighter." Was all Felicita could bring herself to say, butterflies in her stomach. She didn't like the fact that this boy made her feel this way, but she couldn't help it. She liked him. She couldn't deny that she thought he was handsome; he had short, black hair, brown eyes that always seemed to shine with enthusiasm, and a tall, athletic build. He was always strong too; he worked hard and always seemed to lighten the guild's mood with a smart comment that made everyone laugh.

"She really is amazing though." Ryner said. Felicita turned around to look at him, his tone of voice catching her attention, it was full of admiration. He was watching Kinade, a slight smile on his face. Felicita's stomach dropped, she suddenly felt like crying. Of course. That's how it was. Ryner thought of her as nothing more than a friend. He liked her strong, beautiful, older sister instead. Felicita knew that that would never work out though, not with Kinade's mindset. Why couldn't she, Felicita, get something to make _her_ feel happy for once? Why did the universe hate her so much?

* * *

"That asshole took some of our items and col from our guild storage when he left." Ryner said angrily, looking through their guild's shared storage. They were now back at the inn on Floor 24, sitting in the common area together and discussing what they would do next.

"We can eventually make up for it." Kinade said, sitting on a sofa, her arms and legs crossed.

"Kinade-san, we got the majority of that from monster drops that you and Toma-san collected." Riku said.

"We can get better items and more col if we work hard enough. I know we can!" Silica said determinedly, her dragon, Pina, seemed to squawk in agreement.

Felicita sat next to her sister. She wasn't sure what to contribute to the conversation so she remained quiet, thinking. Kinade and Toma were their most powerful members, without the both of them, they were more vulnerable, Felicita especially, she was the lowest level player in the guild.

Kinade smiled at Silica. "You have the right attitude, Silica-chan."

"Yeah. We just need to train harder, then we will be kicking ass on the front lines in no time." Ryner said, throwing an arm around Silica's shoulders then drew his arm away when Pina flew up and almost bit his ear. "Why do you hate me?" he asked the dragon who hissed then settled comfortably on Silica's shoulder. That was one thing Felicita liked about Ryner; he always found a way to bounce quickly out of a bad mood and into his old self.

Kinade nodded thoughtfully. "Tomorrow, we can start by going a few floors down and training there. We have no choice with Toma gone, but we'll train enough to get back to where we were some day." She stood up. "Ok, guys, that's our game plan so far. Curfew tonight is in an hour. We'll wake up early tomorrow to get a good start on that training."

Felicita only stayed long enough to hear the end of that sentence before she walked outside and sat on the porch. The inn was on a hill, so she had a good view of a forest down below. She sat there for a moment, engrossed in her own thoughts. A lot of things were circling around in her head. One thing was Toma's words before he teleported. _We could really become stronger players if we left these losers behind._ Felicita couldn't help but think that she was the main person he was talking about. Over the past few months, she was the one that Toma had seemed to yell at the most. He would do that whenever she faltered during a fight, didn't dodge in time, or . . . really it was just whenever she did something wrong he had made her feel stupid. Felicita felt guilty, like she was the one who was holding everyone back from their potential because they had to protect her, the weakling.

The petite girl felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ryner. He smiled at her. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked in a cheery tone. Felicita shook her head and the boy sat down.

He was another thing on her mind that she was trying _not _to think about right now. He made everything confusing and complicated for her and she could not deal with him in addition to everything else. She liked him and he liked Kinade, a love that would never be returned in the way he wanted it to be. Felicita wanted to stop liking him as soon as possible before she became too torn up by her feelings.

"I really sucked today, didn't I?" Ryner suddenly said.

Felicita shook her head. "If anyone sucked it was me. I barely helped at all."

"You didn't get picked up like some ragdoll."

The girl smiled to herself. "You have a point there."

"I can't wait to get stronger. That way, one day, I can protect you guys."

"You shouldn't worry about me that much though, I'll just slow you down."

"Don't give me that!" Ryner said to her. "Don't let what Toma said get to you; it was a load of crap."

"But I'm the lowest level player in our guild. I'm holding everyone back because they want to protect me."

"You're not weak. Each one of you girls has your own strength. Yours, Felicita, is that you always try your best when you do anything. Besides, we aren't just protecting you, we're protecting each other. We _are_ in a guild, it's what we do." Felicita could not help but feel a little elated. Ryner had told her that she had strength.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" The boy asked. Felicita nodded. "Well . . ." he blushed. "Does Kinade ever say anything about me?" Felicita's elation vanished.

"Why?" she asked, keeping a blank expression.

"I-I was just wondering if I had a chance if I asked her out on a date sometime."

"You really like her don't you."

"Am I that easy to see through?" He was blushing.

Felicita thought for a moment. Ryner was a good guy. He may be able to get Kinade to focus on her own happiness for once. Felicita then made a decision. She loved Kinade, yet she also liked Ryner. Their happiness meant a lot to her and she would do anything to make sure that they had it.

The girl smiled. "I can try and help you get together if you want."

Ryner looked surprised. "You'd really help me."

"Yeah you and my sister would be great for each other. Anyway, what are guild mates for right?"

The boy got up and bowed. "Thank you." He said.

Felicita waved her hands in front of her. "No really. It's ok."

Ryner looked really happy now. "Well, we should probably go in before Kinade throws a chair at us again." He said, offering a hand to Felicita to help her up.

She took it with a smile. "That's a good idea." She followed him inside, smiling, even though her heart was breaking.

**A/N: What did you guys think? Please leave reviews so I know that people actually read and/or have any opinions on my story!**


	4. Chapter 4: Duel in the Jungle

Chapter Four: Duel in the Jungle

**A/N: Yes! Consecutive day updates. *pumps fist into the air* I am so proud of myself. Thank you for favoriting and following my story if you did. If you did not then I will hunt you down and kill you, or maybe just force you to press the follow button. JK! No seriously, you should follow my story; you would make me so happy if you did. **_**Anyway, **_**here's my next chapter. Please read and enjoy!**

2023/07/18

The dungeon on Floor 24 was creepy. At least that's what Felicita thought as she Ryner and Riku walked through it together. It was basically just a dark jungle inside of a cave. Streams crisscrossed the floor, a gentle glow coming from them. It was very dark away from them though, and creatures could be heard lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right chance to attack their prey.

"How much longer until we can go home?" Felicitaasked, her hands behind her head and an impatient tone to her voice.

"Our goal today was to at least reach 5,000 col." Ryner answered, walking next to her and looking at his map. "We're only half way there."

Felicita groaned. Riku looked at her and laughed. "You're the one that set that goal, Felicita-san."

"I got carried away. Kinade-nee was teasing me again." Felicita answered, then glanced at Ryner. "Speaking of my Onee-chan, how was your date yesterday?" the girl asked with a smirk.

Ryner's eyes darted to the side; he was determined not to look at her. "We both know it was not a date."

"But you spent time alone together didn't you." Riku asked, joining in on Felicita's teasing.

"All we did was go to the market and do some house shopping." He said, blushing. The guild almost had enough col to buy a house that they liked a few floors above them.

"You still had to spend the night away from the guild." Felicita said, still smirking. "Come on. You had to have made _some_ kind of move on her. I set that up perfectly for you. Kinade-nee would have asked me to go but I told her I had promised Silica I was going to go into town with her."

"Well . . . we _did_ eat dinner out together."

"And . . .?" Felicita asked him, wanting him to go on.

"We had a conversation. It was fun, but I still don't know how she feels about me." Ryner said, his spirits seeming to lower.

Felicita punched him on the arm. He grunted in pain and Felicita said. "Don't worry, Ryner-kun. Things will work out somehow." Felicita pulled up her menu and looked at the time. It was about noon. "Let's stop for lunch." She said as she went over and sat down on a rock by a stream.

Felicita had been working with Ryner to help him to hit it off with her sister for the past few months. Riku and Silica were in on it too, but it was proving to be very difficult. Felicita still liked Ryner, but she tried not to think about her feelings, they would just make her sad.

"Why must you be so violent?" Ryner asked, sitting on a nearby rock. "You're just like your sister when we miss curfew or do something reckless, only you're like that all the time. I never would have thought that you were like this when I first met you."

"I only show my true colors to people in know." Felicita said with a smirk. "Now that I know I can really trust you guys, I let you guys see me for who I am."

Ryner raised his hand like a little kid would in pre-school. "Can I go back to not knowing you then?"

Felicita took out the lunch she packed and threw one at Ryner's head. He hadn't expected that, so it hit his face and he fell backwards and off of his rock. "Just shut up and eat, baka!" She yelled.

Ryner muttered to himself as he got back onto his rock. " . . . Violent, flat-chested . . ." Unfortunately for him Felicita heard him.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said." she asked with a creepy smile on her face, a dark aura seemed to surround her.

"N-Nothing!" Ryner stuttered, quickly opening his lunch and eating the food inside. Riku chuckled as Felicita handed her a lunch as well.

Felicita opened her lunch. They all had the same thing: a sandwich and a container of water. The petite girl took a bite. "This is really good Riku." Felicita complimented, smiling at her friend.

"Thanks. I'm glad that you like it." Riku said as she returned the smile. "Cooking was something I couldn't do in the real world so I'm glad I could do it here." The girl looked down at her sandwich. "I don't think they're that good though."

"Yeah they are." Felicita reassured her. "You could make a lot of col if you sold them."

"No, don't sell them!" Ryner piped in.

"Why not?" Felicita asked, glaring at him.

"There will be less for me if you do."

Felicita picked up a small rock and threw it at him. It hit him on the head and he almost fell again. "Pig." Felicita said simply.

Ryner rubbed his head where the rock struck. "There would be less for you too you know. If you ate more maybe you would grow in certain areas."

Felicita stood up abruptly, blushing slightly. "You are really asking for a punch in the face right now!"

"If I were really asking for it I would call you a short, flat-chested bitch now wouldn't I?" said the smirking boy. This was basically how their bickering played out nowadays.

"Get over here and say that to my face you self-absorbed bastard!" Felicita said, definitely feeling murderous. The best Riku could do was hold her back. "Get over here so I can kick your ass and mop the floor with your face!"

"I don't think you should do that. You won't be able to get into the corners."

"That's it! You're so dead!" Felicita pulled out her sword. Riku couldn't really hold her back anymore. They slowly made their way to Ryner who was laughing on the ground. Felicita was about to stab him when there was a sudden scream.

The three of them went still. They didn't move. That scream sounded like a child. Riku let go of Felicita and pulled out her mace. "Let's go." she said. The other two nodded. Ryner pulled out his sword and they all ran toward where the sound came from.

* * *

The three members of the Timber Wolves had run through many trees and vines, until they came across a small clearing. In the clearing there was a group of four people. Three of them were standing and one was laying on the ground, curled into their body. Felicita immediately thought that they were being attacked by a monster. "Don't panic! We're here to help!" she yelled at them as she Ryner and Riku sprinted their way to them. Then Felicita noticed that something was wrong. She didn't see any monster anywhere, she only saw the group of four, and all of them seemed to be guys.

Then her heart dropped and she gasped. The three standing were kicking the one on the ground. Felicita yelled angrily and ran ahead of Ryner and Riku. She kicked the first guy she came to and he fell back several feet. Then she slashed her sword at the next one. He barely blocked and ended up being knocked away. Ryner then came up from behind her and punched the last guy in the face, sending him into the one that had blocked Felicita's sword. He and Riku came and stood in front of the boy protectively.

Felicita knelt down next to the boy who was curled on the ground. He was small and his arms and legs looked fragile. He had messy sand colored hair and his eyes were shut tight. She looked at his health bar. It was in the red. The girl quickly got out a healing crystal and used it on him. As his health returned to green, his breathing eased and he relaxed. He opened his eyes and looked up at the girl by his side. His eyes were a light gray-ish color.

Felicita was relieved. "It's ok now. We won't let them hurt you anymore." She said with a warm smile. The boy looked at her, tears in his eyes. Felicita squeezed his hand, then stood up, her sword poised to strike.

The boy she kicked walked closer to their group. "Hey, this is none of your business. I suggest you leave now before things get ugly."

"You were beating up an innocent boy." Ryner shot back coldly. "I think that we can get in your business. Why would you do this to him? As fellow players of SAO, we need to help each other out, not massacre one another."

The other boy laughed. He seemed to be the leader of the thugs. "There's no proof that people actually die, now is there? We can't _see_ what happens in the real world. That Akihiko Kayaba guy could have been lying when he appeared on the day of the opening ceremony."

Felicita thought back to that day. It's true that the images Kayaba had shown them could have been fabricated. Even so, why would you not take the threat of death in reality seriously?

"That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!" Felicita yelled. "We don't know if Kayaba was lying or telling the truth. Because of that we can't take any chances."

"It's just a game you little bitch. No need to get riled up." Felicita was really starting to hate this guy.

"Then were you just hurting this boy for fun?" Ryner asked.

"The reason we have for doing what we were doing is none of your concern. Just give him back and get out of here before we decide to do the same to you."

"Not after what you've done to him already. You'll have to get through us first." Ryner said, his eyes cold and steady.

The other guys smirked. "Fine, since I am feeling generous today," the leader said. "Just give us your mace user and we will let you take the kid and get out of here."

Ryner stepped in front of Riku. "What do you want with her?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? It's why I didn't ask you to give me that other girl. She doesn't even look like she's hit puberty yet."

"Who are you calling a short, flat-chested girl who wouldn't look good in a swimsuit?" Felicita yelled.

Ryner tried not to laugh. He couldn't help it. "No one said that, Fel."

"You perverted bastards were thinking it!" she stepped in front of Ryner. "Ok, assholes, I have a proposition for you. One of us from each team will duel. If we win, you let all of us go, including the kid. If you win you can do whatever you want."

The leader smiled. "You have a deal, pipsqueak."

Felicita turned to Ryner and Riku. "Please let me duel." She pleaded.

"Are you sure?" Ryner asked, concerned.

"Yes. He pisses me off more than you do." Felicita was angry. She wanted to get revenge for the boy and the insults that she and her friends had been thrown. She was scared though, she couldn't deny that, but she was determined at the same time.

Ryner saw this, and smiled. "Ok, I'll let you. I know you won't let us down." Felicita nodded, then turned to Riku. Riku looked her in the eyes, then nodded. Felicita then looked at the boy on the ground. She smiled at him, then walked toward the three jerks.

"So, you send yourself to get your ass kicked, huh?" The leader said, meeting Felicita between their two groups.

Felicita sent him a duel invitation. "You shouldn't cuss so much. Your soul is already black enough." He just chuckled, amused and accepted, making their duel a timed battle.

The countdown began. Felicita held her sword up while her opponent equipped a sword and shield. She really found it insulting that he did not take a ready stance.

They had a staring contest; Felicita stared with hatred while her opponent stared with nonchalant amusement. All Felicita thought about was her desire to defeat him.

The countdown ended, they had about one minute and thirty seconds. Felicita charged him wanting to stab him right in the stomach. The only thing he did was move his shield to block her. She hit the shield several times because he kept blocking. Then he hit her with his it, stunning her and he slashed her across the chest and she fell back. He tried to kick her but she rolled, only to be cut again on the arm by his sword.

Felicita felt really scared. Was this how she was going to die? He was so strong, how was she going to defeat him. The girl froze for a second. She was kicked and she screamed.

"Felicita!" Ryner and Riku were calling her name. They were depending on her. She had practically bet their lives away and she had to pull them out.

Through her fear. Felicita got up. About thirty seconds were left. The jerk was about to say a retort but Felicita charged him again, faster than before. He barely had time to block. All Felicita thought about was stiking faster, harder to smack that smirk off his face and grind his pride into dust on the floor. She was able to knock his shield out of his hand, he looked surprised. The petite girl then began to cut him every which way she could. He tried to block and counterattack with his sword, but the most he could do was scratch her cheek. Then as three seconds were left, Felicita kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back into his goons. The duel ended, Felicita's health was on the edge between yellow and green while her opponent's had begun to turn red. Felicita had won.

Ryner and Riku cheered, Felicita sagged in relief. "Damn you!" Felicita looked back at the thugs. They were rushing her, weapons drawn. It was too late to defend herself and her friends were too far away to save her. The girl closed her eyes. She was going to die.

There was a strangled cry of pain. Felicita opened her eyes in confusion. Another boy was now standing in front of her. He had black hair that hung around his intense, dark eyes. He wore a long black coat, a crescent moon on the chest and he had a one-handed long sword strapped to his back.

He glared at the two he had knocked aside. "You know, it's not very cool to be sore losers. You should accept that you were defeated and learn from it."

"Who the hell are you?" One of the boys on the floor asked.

"Just a solo player passing through." He drew his sword, and held it at his side. "You should leave now, before I decide to teach you a little something about good sportsmanship."

"Like you could beat us." One of the guys said as he rushed the strange newcomer. He barely reached his target before the swordsman in black knocked his sword away and tripped him.

He stood there coolly. "You're just wasting your time." He said as he sidestepped the next guy and kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling.

Everyone stared at this strange person. Who was he? Felicita could not help but think that she had seen him before.

Then a loud grinding noise filled the air. Felicita looked to where it was coming from. It was a giant, stone cobra. It slithered through the trees and stopped near them hissing. Then more came, gathering around them.

"Crap." Felicita heard the swordsman whisper. He turned around and grabbed her hand. "Run!" he yelled, pulling her towards her guild mates. As they passed them, Ryner and Riku followed and Felicita grabbed the boy on the ground by the hand and pulled him along with them. They ran into the forest, snakes following close behind them.

**A/N: There it was, my 4****th**** chapter. What's going to happen next? Why were they beating up a little kid? Who is this mysterious swordsman? Ok, actually, that last question is not that hard to answer. Everyone should know who he is. Not to worry my darlings, I will answer these questions next update. Please review when you are done. However, I will not force you to . . . probably. **


	5. Chapter 5: New Friends, New Connections

Chapter Five: New Friends, New Connections

** A/N: Ugh! It is so late. Why am I staying up this late to finish this update for you people?! Oh right, you're my "beloved" readers. Well anyway since I so **_**obviously **_**love you people, here is my next chapter. Enjoy it or die! (Just kidding. I love you guys. But seriously enjoy this chapter. I worked hard on it.)**

2023/07/18

Everything was dark. _What just happened? What was I doing again?_ Felicita had no idea what was going on. For a second, she couldn't remember anything; all she felt was the cold, hard ground under her body. No, wait, that wasn't all. Her head and her hand were resting on something warm and soft. It was comforting. She wanted to lay there forever, she didn't feel like getting up . . . but she felt like she had to. It was important.

The girl lifted her throbbing head and opened her eyes. The light was very dim so she could barely focus. When she finally did, she found that she was face to face with Ryner. She blushed and made a small squeaking sound as she quickly scooted away from him, though she immediately began to regret that as she was hit with a dizzy spell. Felicita leaned against the wall until it passed, then she looked at Ryner again. She had been lying on his chest.

That thought made her blush again. What was she going to say to him? Then she saw him stir and groan in pain. _Good, he had been passed out._

"Is everyone ok?" Felicita looked around and saw a swordsman dressed all in black stand up, brushing himself off. He had been the one who spoke.

"I'm alive." Felicita heard a girl's soft voice. She was pretty sure it was Riku . . . or was it? Felicita had a hard time focusing.

"I'm still kicking." Ryner groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm ok." It was another small voice, one that Felicita had never heard before. Who could it be? She wasn't able to see anyone else because the rubble was everywhere. Wait, rubble?

Felicita looked around, then behind her and up. There was a large pile of rocks that went from floor to ceiling. She looked around. It didn't look like there was a way out.

Ryner looked over at Felicita as he stood up. "Fel's here too." He said as he looked around at the room they were in. "This looks like a mess."

"What happened?" Felicita asked without really thinking about it. She was just curious.

"How do you not remember? You really are scattered brained aren't you?" Ryner asked with a slight smirk. Before Felicita could say anything he continued. "We were chased by the cobras, remember? They chased us through the jungle and all of them ended upbringing down the cave ceiling."

Felicita nodded, but she wasn't sure if she could really remember. Her memory was a little hazy.

"Sorry. Getting chased was partly my fault." said the swordsman, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was fighting them until I heard that scream, then I tried to shake them and see what was going on. Guess they found me."

"You were fighting all of those? There were like twenty of them." Ryner said disbelievingly. "What level are you anyway?"

The swordsman seemed to fidget. "Uh . . ." was all he said.

"Ryner-san, he doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to." Riku said, then she turned to the swordsman and bowed. "We are really thankful though," she said to him. "You saved our friend."

"It was no big deal," he said quickly in return as he shook his hands in front of him. "Anyone would have done it. I just happened to be there." Then he looked around him, thinking. "Can someone try a teleport crystal to see if we can get out that way?"

Riku took hers out. "I can try." She held up the blue crystal and tried to use it. It didn't work.

"Does this mean we're stuck in here?" Ryner asked a little panicked.

Felicita looked at the boy in black for his answer. "No. It just means that there should be another way out." The petite girl couldn't help looking at him, not sure that if she really saw what she just thought she did. In his eyes just now . . . had she seen . . . fear? If there had been any, it had quickly vanished. Felicita decided not to dwell on it for too long, her head was really starting to hurt.

"We should start shifting rocks to see if we can find a tunnel." The swordsman said, leaning over and moving rocks around.

Ryner started to walk over to the others to help. Then he turned to Felicita. "Would you like me to bring you a cold drink while you wait, Your Highness?" he asked with a smirk.

"Shut up." The girl said as she quickly stood up. She had almost taken two steps forward when she suddenly felt light headed. Black dots began to fill her vision and, before she knew it, she was pitching forward into darkness.

* * *

Felicita could hear voices, but they sounded distant and she couldn't make out anything. She tried to focus. Those voices sounded familiar. She felt like she should know them. She waited what seemed like an eternity for them to become discernable, but then, she heard a voice, that she thought she would never hear again, say words that seemed to stab her in the heart.

"It's all your fault."

The girl jerked awake . . . and almost fell off of the black swordsman's back.

"Whoa, easy. You're ok now." He said to her.

She looked around. They were walking along a dark tunnel. She saw Ryner in front of them, carrying a lantern. He looked as nonchalant as ever, but Felicita could tell that he was worried about her; he just didn't want to admit it. Next to him was a girl who was slightly shorter than Ryner. She had black hair that went to her shoulders and a mace at her side. She was talking to Ryner , it was Riku. Then, Felicita noticed the small boy following slightly behind her and the swordsman. When he saw that she was awake, he gave a small smile and waved. Felicita smiled back, then layed her head back down on the swordsman's back, she felt tired.

"What . . .?" She began to ask, her voice a small rasp.

"You fainted and I caught you," the boy in black began in a quiet tone. "Then we found a small tunnel and took it. That was half an hour ago. How are you feeling?" he asked concerned.

"Tired . . . and sore." She groaned.

"Don't worry. That's normal. You were bitten by one of the cobras and their venom got into your system. It works differently from other poisons but I was able to use an antidote crystal to get rid of it. You should feel fine in a minute."

"Hm." She grunted. It was quiet between them for a while. In the meantime, Felicita tried to remember what had happened. Her mind refused to let her think, it just made her stare to the side, her mind blank. Then she remembered that she forgot to do something.

"I never learned your name." She stated, speaking to the swordsman. "What is it?"

He hesitated for a few seconds before he answered her. "Kirito." He said. "And I hear from your friends that you're Felicita."

"Yeah. That's me. I would shake your hand or something but I feel like I might fall."

Kirito laughed once. "We wouldn't want that."

"Well, anyway, Kirito-san, thank you for helping us. Me especially, I probably would have died if not for you."

He glanced back at her. "Well, I think you were handling yourself pretty well before I stepped in."

_What is he talking about?_ Then she remembered her fight. "Oh, yeah, the duel. That wasn't that big of a deal."

"I have to disagree. You rocked." He said coolly.

". . . Thanks." She said after a while. Then they were silent again. Felicita felt a little awkward, so she kept her mind occupied by just watching her two guild mates. They seemed to be talking freely, but she saw the slight signs that they were anxious. Ryner was so distracted that he tripped on a rock and almost fell over.

"Smooth, Ryner." Felicita said with a small smirk. Her voice was very soft, but it was loud enough for him to hear.

Ryner looked back at her. "Since when did you wake up?" He asked trying to sound annoyed, but she could tell that he was relieved. Riku looked back in surprise too. "You know what? I don't care." Ryner continued, turning around. "Screw you, Fel."

"No thanks. I don't want AIDS." Felicita said back.

Ryner spun around and glared over Kirito's shoulder at her. "I do not have AIDS!"

"Can't prove that now can you?" Felicita said, still smirking.

"Ok, for one, we are in a virtual world. You can't spread those kinds of disease here!"

"Knowing you, you'd find a way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, his voice becoming louder.

"I'm just saying you're the only one stupid enough that would find _some_ way to screw things up."

Ryner was about to say something back when Riku cut in. "Guys you need to stop!" She said. This time she was the one that tried to sound annoyed, but Felicita could see her lips twitch.

"Whatever." Ryner said as he turned around again and continued walking. Everyone else followed his example.

Felicita rested her head on Kirito's back again. It took her a moment to notice that something was a little different. She looked at the back of the swordsman's head. She was surprised as she realized that he was laughing to himself.

Silence followed for a while. Felicita was happy to find that her mind was clearing up. She was finally able to remember what had happened earlier. Suddenly, the lamp that Ryner was holding went out. She looked over Kirito's shoulder and saw that the end of the tunnel was in sight, a dim light was shining through it, lighting up the cave.

Felicita straightened, she was excited. They had found the way out.

Kirito glanced back at her briefly. That's when she became very aware that he had basically been giving her a piggy-back ride for the past hour.

Color rushed to her cheeks. "I-I think I can stand now." She said to him.

"Ok, but be careful." He warned, then he bent down to let her off. When her feet touched the ground, she gingerly got off and tried to stand on her own. She succeeded for about two seconds before she started to lean slightly to the side. Kirito steadied her by putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks." The petite girl said to him. He nodded and he slowly removed his hand and she began to walk on her own. He stayed close by to make sure she was ok, but she didn't need any help after that. She felt better.

Once they were outside, Ryner walked slightly ahead stretched his arms out, basking in the, what was now, moonlight. He swiped his right hand down and looked at the time. "It's almost midnight." He said, "Kinade is definitely going to kill us." He cringed at the thought.

Felicita groaned. She was not looking forward to her sister's scolding when they got back. Then she noticed that Kirito had disappeared. "Kirito?" she asked, looking around for him. The others looked at her, then began looking for the boy in black themselves. He reappeared as he walked through the surrounding trees.

Everyone looked at him questioningly. "I wanted to make sure no one would over hear us. There's something I was waiting to clear up until Felicita-san woke up." Kirito turned toward the small boy that had been quiet the whole time they had been walking through the tunnel. "What's your name?" Kirito asked gently as he knelt in front of him.

The boy shuffled his feet slightly, then he answered. "Seiji."

"Well, Seiji, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Seiji shook his head and Kirito continued. "Can you tell us who those guys were that were hurting you?"

Seiji looked down at his feet. "I was in a guild with them."

Everyone was surprised. Ryner then spoke. "Why did you join a guild with them?"

The boy sniffled, he had begun to cry. "They-they said they could pr-protect me. They s-said they would do it if I j-just did wh-what they told me to." Tears began to stream down his cheeks. Felicita felt so sad and sorry for him. She went around Kirito and gave Seiji a hug. He hugged her back and he cried into her shoulder. The girl knew exactly how he felt. She always felt that way: scared and helpless. But Felicita had had friends to comfort her when she felt that way. This boy had had none.

After the small boy had calmed down a little, Kirito asked, still gently "If they were in a guild with you, why would they want to hurt you?"

Seiji looked up at him. "I wanted to quit the guild. I didn't like the things they did. They were mean, they _hurt_ people. When I told them that I wanted to quit they-." The boy faltered.

Kirito put a hand on the small boy's head. "It's ok now, they're gone. They won't hurt you anymore." Seiji wiped his tears away and nodded. Felicita looked at him. The poor boy. Where would he go now? Then an idea that made her excited popped into her head.

"Hey!" She said suddenly, startling everyone. "Now that you don't have a guild anymore, why don't you join ours?"

The small boy looked at her. "Really?" he asked disbelievingly. "You-you'd let me join you r guild?"

Felicita nodded. Then she turned to the boy in black. "You too, Kirito."

"What?" he asked startled.

"Yes!" Felicita said, standing up. "I think that it would be great if we all stayed together from now on."

She looked at both of them expectantly. Riku walked up beside them. "I think that's a great idea. We would love to have you join us!" she said, beaming.

"Hm." Ryner hummed as if he were thinking. "I don't know. I was kinda liking the harem setting that we have right now."

Felicita punched him in the arm. "Don't be such a pervert." She said to him, annoyed.

"I was kidding." Ryner said as he rubbed the spot she had hit. "I will actually be relieved. I have no male friends thanks to you girls. It would be nice to talk to my own species for once."

Felicita "hmphed" in response to his answer. Then she turned to the boys that she had invited into their guild.

Kirito looked surprised and happy. He looked as if he were about to accept. But then, a shadow seemed to pass over his face. He looked down and to the side, his hair covering his eyes. "I shouldn't. I work better solo." He said. Then he looked at Seiji. "But you should join them, kid. A guild_ is_ good for protection; you just need to find the right one." He looked at Felicita, Ryner, and Riku with a small smile.

Felicita wanted to know what had just crossed Kirito's mind. She looked at him and they looked each other in the eye for a moment. Then he looked away. She decided not to press him; he probably had his own reasons. So she looked back at Seiji. "So, Seiji, what do you say? Do you want to join the Timber Wolves?"

He looked at her for a few moments before he grinned widely. "Yeah!" he said excitedly.

Kirito shook everyone's hands. Lastly, he shook Ryner's. "I'm sorry that you couldn't join our guild." Ryner was saying. "It would have been nice if you had joined."

"Yeah." Kirito said, a little awkwardly. "No offense to you guys, but I prefer to work on my own."

Ryner smiled. "Well good luck to you." He said.

Kirito smiled. "Same to you." He said. Then he walked a little ways away and waved before turning to leave. That's when Felicita remembered another lone boy who had walked away from everyone, alone. _A beater . . . that's a good name._

Felicita was shocked. How had she not known before?

"Hey, Kirito!" she yelled running after him. "Wait just a second!" Kirito stopped just before he disappeared into the trees and turned to wait for her.

She caught up to him and looked him in the eyes. "I thought I had recognized you before." She said, not loud enough for the others to hear. "Now I remember. I was at the Floor One boss raid. My whole guild was there. You were that beater guy weren't you?" she asked, keeping her expression straight.

Kirito didn't waiver as he looked back into her almond eyes. "Yeah. What about it?" he asked, his tone flat, his now cold gaze trained on her.

She leaned toward him slightly, still staring into his gray eyes. His eyes shifted, but for the most part, he looked her in the eyes as well, waiting.

They were like that for a moment. Suddenly, Felicita smiled. "Somehow, I never believed what you said that day, about being a beater."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Uh. Wh-what makes you say that?" he asked avoiding her gaze.

Felicita's smile turned into a smirk. "It just doesn't suit you."

"Well then why would I say something like that?" he challenged.

"To rally everyone." She said simply. "I remember how they were all reacting after what that guy said about beta-testers. They were all suspicious of each other. They were ready to _kill_ each other. But _you_ made yourself seem like the bad guy. You gave them something to have in common: their hatred towards you. You even casually insulted the supposed superior beta-testers and made normal players seem better than them."

Kirito still refused to look her in the eyes. "Just admit that I'm right already." Felicita said, still smirking.

The swordsman glanced at her once, then looked away again. "You can believe whatever you want to." He said.

Felictia laughed a little. She looked over at her now three guild mates. They seemed to be in deep conversation, not paying attention to her and Kirito. That was good, Felicita did not want them to see what she was about to do and take it the wrong way.

Felicita quickly leaned forward and kissed Kirito's cheek. He jumped back slightly. "What-!" he began, surprised, his hand automatically going up to his cheek. Both he and Felicita were blushing.

"Don't take it the wrong way." She said, looking at the ground. "I don't think of you in a romantic way or anything. I just want you to know that, even though everyone hates you for being a beater, at least one person doesn't." he just stared at her blankly. "Me." She clarified. He still continued to stare. "If you don't believe me about the romantic thing, I'll tell you who I _do _like." The girl said. She was nervous, she had never told anyone about her feelings for Ryner before, but she wanted it to be clear to Kirito that she did not "like-like" him.

Felicita glanced over in the others' direction. Kirito looked. Then he had a look on his face that said he understood. "Oh, Riku-san." He said.

Felicita almost agreed, then stopped herself when she realized the name that had come out of Kirito's mouth. "No!" she said, embarrassed, her face red. She kicked him in the shin.

Kirito reacted with an "Ow!" and he held his leg, hopping on one foot. "I was kidding!" he said, trying to keep his voice down. "I know you meant Ryner-san."

"Then why would you say that?!" Riku asked, her face still red.

Kirito chuckled. "Just messin' with you." He said as he put his leg down. Then, his hand came to rest on her head. "Well, good luck." Felicita nodded, despite that fact that she knew it was pointless for her to try anymore.

"I hope we meet again, Kirito-san." Felicita said.

Kirito smiled. "Me too." He said, before walking away and disappearing into the trees.

* * *

"I really think we shoud go now." Ryner said as Felicita joined her guild mates again. "Kinade might actually be mad enough by now to throw a whole kitchen at us."

As if on cue, Felicita received a message from her sister. She opened it. It had a panicked tone; Kinade was asking if she and the others were all right. She and Silica were looking for them.

Feicita sighed. "We should probably start heading back now."

A depressed aura seemed to fall upon everyone except Seiji, who just looked at them confusedly. The four began to make their way to the inn where they were staying at, mentally preparing themselves for the verbal (and most likely physical that went along with it) abuse that they were about to suffer.

* * *

Ryner's theory about having a kitchen thrown at them was not far off. As the four approached the hill that the inn was on, a frying pan was thrown at them from out of nowhere. Felicita saw it coming and ducked. Unfortunately for Ryner, he was the next one in the line of fire and the pan hit him instead. He fell backwards just as Kinade and Silica came rushing up to them. Silica looked like she had been crying and Kinade looked like she was on the verge of doing so herself.

"You idiots!" she screamed at them. This time she pulled some silverware out of her sleeves and threw it at them. Kinade then reminded Felicita of a certain demon she knew about and was sad that now was not a good time to make a reference about him.

Felicita continued to walk up to her sister as she kept screaming. "You were gone for so long! You weren't showing up on the map! We got worried when you didn't send us any messages! We thought you had died!"

A fork stuck itself into Felicita's arm. She winced and then pulled it out, letting it drop to the ground. The sisters stared at each other for a moment before Kinade burst into tears and threw herself onto her sister. "I thought you were dead." The eldest sister said quietly between sobs.

"Sorry, Onee-chan. We'll explain everything."

"You better." Kinade said, regaining some of her stoic composure. Then she noticed the small boy hiding behid Riku. "Who's this?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

Felicita smiled. "We found a new Timber Wolf."

**A/N: That was a long chapter. So, did anyone catch my reference to another anime? Here's a hint: badass, silverware throwing demon. I wonder who that could be. ***_**coughSebastiancoughMichaelis**_*** Ahem. Allergies. If you did not understand my reference please go and fulfill your pathetic life by looking up a thing called "Black Butler." Anyway, please leave reviews! I want to know what you guys think so far. How are my characters? How was my Kirito portrayal (this question is very important to me)? How are my little humor bits (also important)? (You know what all of those were important to me so just answer them.) Again I am not forcing you to answer them but I would appreciate it if you would. I should probably stop talking now. Actually I would also like to know if I am the only person that reads author's notes. I feel that it is a courtesy to read everything that the author took their precious time to write. Well I hope you will continue to read my story! Remember, I love you all (by the way, I still love you even if you don't know what Black Butler is)!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Well Deserved Vacation

Chapter 6: A Well Deserved Vacation

**A/N: Ok, here is my next chapter. It's kind of just a filler chapter (I don't want to rush the plot anyway), but I still hope you all enjoy it.**

2023/09/25

Felicita bolted upright in bed. She was breathing hard and she suddenly felt like she was scared. _Was it a bad dream?_ She tried to calm down. She took deep breaths as she slowly looked around the room, suddenly feeling wary. That's when she noticed her door slightly creak open. Her body froze as she stared at it, eyes scanning the room. _Was someone in here with her?_

As the girl turned onto her side to turn her bedside lamp on, she came face to face with two, wide, gray eyes. She squeaked and pulled away . . . only to fall off of the other side of her bed. She landed with her back hitting first. Then her head whipped back and hit the wooden floor. She grunted in pain and curled into herself, holding her head with both hands, her eyes shut tight.

"Are you ok?" a small voice asked. Felicita opened her eyes slightly. Seiji was now looking at her worriedly from on her bed, supporting himself on his hands and knees.

The petite girl relaxed her body. "Yeah . . . but don't scare me like that again, ok?" she said, getting up. The boy smiled sheepishly. Then she asked "What are you doing here, kid?"

The boy sat on the bed and hugged his knees to his chest. "I can't sleep." He said.

Felicita looked at him for a moment. Then she smiled and said. "You can stay here for a while I guess."

Seiji smiled at her brightly. Then she gestured for him to get under the covers on the other side of the bed while she got under the covers on the side closest to her.

"So, why can't you sleep?" the girl asked her friend after they had settled.

"I don't know." He said quietly, shrugging.

"Is it your new room?" Felicita asked. The Timber Wolves had finally gotten enough col to buy their own house on Floor 30 and had moved in a few days ago.

Seiji looked her in the eyes, then looked away. "Maybe." he said.

"It's different. You just need time to get used to it." Felicita reassured him. The boy nodded. He looked troubled, so Felicta continued to talk. "You are settling in, right? I don't just mean in your room but into the guild too."

"Yeah." The boy said, a smile returning to his face. "I love being in a guild with you guys. We're like a big family!" Felicita laughed at that and agreed with him. After about an hour of conversation, their responses came more sluggishly and eventually, both of them fell asleep, facing each other.

* * *

"A vacation?" Felicita asked in surprise. The sun had risen and everyone was in the common area of their house, either helping make breakfast in the kitchen or waiting in the dining room for it to be served.

"Yes!" Ryner was saying. He was sitting a few seats away from her, a serious look on his face. "We've been working hard for the past few months now and I think that we need to relax at least for a few days. We deserve it."

"Hm." Felicita hummed, thinking. Personally, she wouldn't mind a vacation. It would be nice to just relax for a while. She smiled mischievously. "Are you really doing this for the guild or are you doing this just so you can spend some of the time with Kinade-nee?"

Ryner's face colored. "No." he denied, looking away from her.

"Ooo." Seiji said, looking at Ryner. "You _like_ her." He was sitting next to Felicita, his legs swinging back and forth as he was too short for his feet to touch the ground when he sat.

Ryner stood up, pushing his chair back and putting his palms on the table. "Stop hanging around Fel so much!" he said, his face turning redder. Then he turned to the girl in question. "And stop rubbing off on him. It's damn annoying!"

"I can't help that I'm more likeable than you." She said smugly. Seiji giggled at that statement.

Ryner was about to retort when a wooden spoon hit him on the back of the head. "Ow!" he said loudly, looking behind him to see his attacker. Of course it was Kinade.

"Come on you two, it's early in the morning! At least wait until after breakfast to start bickering," Kinade said, bringing a pot to the table. Silica and Riku followed her carrying more dishes.

"Onee-chan," Felicita began. "Have you heard about this vacation idea?"

Silica's head perked up at this and she asked excitedly "We're going on vacation?"

Kinade smiled. "Well yes. Ryner proposed it to me last night. I think it's a great idea."

"Yay!" Silica cheered and hugged Riku. Riku laughed and Pina flew around them, squawking.

Felicita continued to look at her sister. "Do we really have enough col to go on vacation now? We just bought a house."

"We have some left over." Kinade said with a smirk. "Now come on guys," she said to the group. "We're leaving today. Hurry up and finish your breakfast so you can pack."

* * *

Felicita was lying under a tree, her hands behind her head and her ankles crossed. She and her guild mates were on Floor 22 and were staying at an inn. This floor was a quiet, peaceful place. There was a peaceful forest dotted with lakes around the small town they were staying in. They had only been there for about a day and were already thoroughly enjoying themselves.

She was watching the others. They were all playing like children in the lake nearby. She watched as Riku and Silica chased Ryner, splashing water on him as he ran away, a laughing Seiji was riding on his shoulders.

Felicita smiled. She was really happy for Seiji. He had been so quiet and reserved when he had first joined the Timber Wolves. But little by little he had opened up to them and everyone couldn't help but like him. Now he smiled and laughed more with the rest of them.

Kinade walked up to her sister and sat in the grass beside her.

"Had enough fun?" Felicita asked.

"Just taking a break." The older one said calmly. "What about you?" She asked as she turned to her sister. "You haven't been doing much today."

Felicita looked up at the leaves overhead. "We've been doing a lot lately. I kinda just wanted to enjoy the nice day."

"Hm." Kinade answered, watching the others. Now Seiji had hopped off of Ryner and into the water as Riku and Silica continued to splash Ryner, who had fallen down. Pina was flying overhead of them.

"Hey, Fel-chan?" Kinade said.

Felicita had her eyes closed, but she replied. "Yeah?"

Kinade tucked her knees up under her chin. "Do you ever . . . wonder about Kyou-san?"

Felicita opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her sister. "Of course."

"What do you think she's doing right now? She doesn't have us to take care of and the house must be pretty empty. Do you think she's doing alright?"

Felicita thought about it for a moment. "Kyou-san's very strong and independent, Kinade-nee. I bet she's fine. She's probably still going to work, but I'm sure that she's waiting for us to come home too."

"Hm." Kinade hummed again and nodded. After a while she asked "Do you feel guilty?"

Felicita was surprised. "About what?"

"Well, we left Kyou-san alone after everything she's done for us and recently, I've started to think about her less."

"I do feel a little guilty." Felicita admitted. Now that she thought about it, there were days when she didn't think about the real world at all, much less their cousin, Kyou. Kyou was the closest thing that they had to family in the real world and Felicita was failing to think about her. "I don't think about her some days." Felicita continued. "But we can't blame ourselves for leaving her. How were we supposed to know that a sociopath would lock us in a game?" Felicita was starting to feel a little uneasy. Usually she was the one who went to Kinade to talk, not the other way around. "What's with all these thoughts Onee-chan?"

Kinade was silent for a moment. Then she said "I just realized that her birthday was last week."

Felicita's heart sunk. "Oh." She had completely forgotten. It wasn't like they could have done anything for her, but she still felt guilty that she forgot.

"Promise me that we'll make it up to her when we get back ok, Fel-chan. Ten fold."

Felicita sat up and grasped her sister's outstretched hand so it looked like they were about to arm wrestle. "Yeah." She said with a grin. That's when Silica practically tackled Felicita, taking them both to the ground. "Ow!" she yelled. "Silica-chan!"

Then the rest of the guild was there. Seiji plopped himself between Felicita and Kinade. Ryner and Riku stood above them.

"Stop being lazy." Ryner said Felicita with a smirk.

"You've been over here all day." Silica chided.

"Yeah." Seiji added. "You need to come and play with us."

"Fine I will." Felicita said, defeated. She looked at her sister. "Are you coming, Kinade-nee?"

"Nah." The older sister answered. "I think I will steal your idea. I'll relax for a while."

"Oh. Ok." Felictia stood up and was about to go when Kinade spoke again.

"Hey, guys. We've been in this game for almost a year now and we've worked too hard to throw that away. So promise me that you won't die any time soon, ok?"

Everyone except Felicita looked confused but they all promised. Felicita understood where that came from. Her sister still had things she wanted to do, like see Kyou again. She wanted all of them to make it back alive someday because now, she considered them all to be family.

"Well, is everyone ready to have some fun?" she asked.

Ryner sat down slightly behind Kinade in the shade. "If by that you mean abuse then no thanks. I'll sit this out for a bit." He said. Felicita noticed that he glanced at her sister as he said that.

Felicita felt a twinge in her heart. For a second, she wished that she was the one sitting next to Ryner in the shade of the tree. Then she shoved the thought from her head. Those kinds of thoughts would just depress her. She mentally pulled herself together and winked at him. "Who's lazy now?" She asked. She then turned to Silica, Riku, and Seiji. "So what do you guys want to do?" she asked before Ryner could retort.

They thought for a moment. Then Seiji started to bounce on the balls of his feet excitedly. "Can we try fishing?" he asked.

They stared at him for a minute. "You want to go fishing?" Felicita asked.

"Yes." He said with a determined look on his face. "I've always wanted to try it."

"That sounds boring." Silica complained. "Are you sure?"

The young boy nodded. Then Riku put a hand on his shoulder. "Actually, I've always wanted to try fishing too. I say we give it a shot."

Felicita smiled. Those two always wanted to try new things, from food to activities. She put her hand on Seiji's head. "Alright," she said. "Let's go fishing."

They then pulled out the few fishing rods that they had in the guild's shared storage and went to the small pier on the lake. Despite what Silica said about it sounding boring, she seemed to have fun. They let Seiji try first. Surprisingly, he caught something on the first try. He held it in his hands triumphantly until it smacked him with its tail and it flopped back into the water. They all laughed, even Seiji. After that, they didn't take it very seriously. They talked and laughed with each other, scaring the fish away half the time. Felicita was too impatient to catch anything, so after a while of teasing she let the others do it themselves. Eventually they caught a few and the guild ate the ones that Pina didn't steal for dinner.

Felicita went to bed that night feeling happy. She loved her guild. She felt safe with them and they were like her family. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, believing that she would be happy with them forever. However, little did she know that Sword Art Online would soon wipe that smile from her face for a long time.

**A/N: So that was it. Was it boring? I'm sorry if it was, I tried my best! Please review and give me feedback! The next chapter will be very important so look forward to it! I hope to see you next update.**


	7. Chapter 7: Cruelty and Coincidence Part1

Chapter 7: Cruelty and Coincidence Part 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So here is my next chapter. I should be able to post the next one sometime this week. Then, afterwards I should be able to post more often than every week so look forward to that. Please enjoy this chapter (and the next one seeing as how I had originally planned on these being one chapter) because I have been planning it for a really long time.**

2023/09/30

Today started like any other day for the Timber Wolves. It was quiet, peaceful. Of course, they were still on vacation so it was bound to be this way, but it was normal nonetheless. They woke up, had breakfast and prepared for their day. Felicita and Ryner bickered as usual. Riku, Seiji, and Silica were ever so excited to do anything and everything. Kinade then yelled and threw kitchen supplies at them to make them calm down and stay at normal noise level. They played the day away, near the lakes, in the town, in the forest, wherever they wanted to go (mostly the less mature members made these kind of decisions). Unfortunately for them, this did not last.

As the sun was going down, the small guild was back at the inn they were staying at, all of the members were in the common area. Most of them were relaxing from the fun, exhausting day that they had had. _Most _of them were, anyway. Of course, two people in particular were not and were disturbing the tranquility.

"What did you just say?" Felicita yelled at Ryner from across the room.

"Nothing that I absolutely need to say more than once." Ryner answered coolly.

"Well I dare you to say it again." Felicita challenged. "Say it. This time to my face!"

"You really are asking for it aren't you?" Ryner asked exasperatedly. "Fine, I'll tell you when you're chest isn't flat!"

Felicita tried to charge forward at him, but Riku stood up and held her back. Seiji and Silica sat on a nearby couch, watching over the back in awe and amusement. Kinade just sat nearby, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ryner held his arms out, challenging Felicita to come at him. "Come on! If you want a fight, let's go!"

There was some more screaming before Kinade finally stepped in. The two quarreling guild members were inches apart when a knife suddenly flew in front of their eyes and struck the wall next to them. They both stopped mid shout. Everyone slowly turned their heads to look in the direction that the knife came from. Kinade stood there, her body slightly tensed and her hair covering her eyes, a fiery, angry aura seemed to surround her.

Everyone stared at her for a few moments, then, they were suddenly gone from the places they were frozen in. Seiji and Silica were turned back around on the couch, facing forward and resuming a card game. Riku sat on the floor nearby, watching them. Felicita and Ryner suddenly were looking at a painting on a wall nearby, smiling and talking about it as if they were interested. Ryner had an arm around Felictia's shoulders and she had an arm around his waist, they occasionally glanced nervously at Kinade who continued to stare at them. Things went on like this for a while and eventually Felicita and Ryner could not ignore Kinade anymore. They ended up just looking at her with wide smiles on their faces, their arms still around each other. The three of them stared at each other. Felicita could feel a drop of sweat drip down the back of her neck. Finally, Kinade sighed and sat back down, she picked up a book and began to read. Felicita and Ryner relaxed. The former felt her face grow hot as she realized how she and Ryner were holding each other. She quickly put her arm down while trying not to seem guilty of anything, and moved away from him. She sat down in a chair and opened her menu, beginning to scroll through it. Ryner just stood there, unsure of what to do as an awkward silence filled the room.

Seiji, Riku, and Silica glanced at each other. After what seemed to be a silent agreement between them, Seiji got up and walked over to where Felicita was sitting. Tugging at her sleeve, he said "Felicita-san?"

She looked down at him. "Yeah?"

"Can you take me back into town?"

The girl looked at him questioningly. "Why?"

"I want to go out." He answered simply.

Felicita looked at him suspiciously. Then a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked over at Riku and Silica. They were both giving her meaningful looks. Felicta stood up defeated. "Fine." She said.

"Yay!" Seiji said excitedly.

Felicita looked to her sister. "Is that alright, Onee-chan?"

Kinade nodded, still looking at her book. "Yeah. Just don't come back too late."

"Ok." Felicita said. Then she looked at everyone else. "Does anyone else want to come?"

Riku shook her head. Silica waved her hand in farewell. "Nope," she answered. "You guys have fun!" Felicita waited for someone to volunteer. When no one did she followed Seiji toward the door.

"Have fun on your date." Ryner said quickly.

Felicita shot a quick "shut up" at him, before she walked out the door.

* * *

It was night, so many lights lit up the streets of the nearby town. Seiji led Felicita down the streets, to shops and stalls, looking at everything and showing her things that he thought looked cool. Felicita couldn't help but enjoy herself a little, Seiji's energetic mood was very contagious. Though, in the back of her mind, she thought firmly in response to Ryner's last sly comment "This is definitely not a date. Seiji is younger than me." This was very obvious as Seiji was both shorter than her and he acted a lot more childishly . . . in an innocent way.

After a while, Seiji yawned widely. Felicita saw this despite the fact that Seiji tried to hide it.

"Tired?" she asked him. Seiji hesitated. Then he nodded. "Do you want to go back now?"

He shook his head as furiously as he could with his fatigue. "No," he said firmly. "I don't want to leave yet."

Felicita studied him. He was obviously tired, his eyelids were drooping and he struggled to keep them open, but there was a certain determined look upon his face that the girl could not ignore. She sighed. "Fine." She said. Then she looked around and spotted a tree by a lake. It was a little ways away from the town, so it was a little dark, but the moon did a good job of lighting up the dark landscape.

Felicita led Seiji over to the tree and she sat them down under it. "We can rest here." She said. "Just take a quick nap or something."

Seiji smiled softly and hummed in agreement. Then he scooted closer to Felicita and he rested his head on her shoulder. Soon after, he was fast asleep. Felicita was surprised by his choice of a place to nap, but she couldn't help but smile once he fell asleep. Slowly and carefully, so as not to wake him up, she moved her arm and put it around him.

She absently stared out over the water and without meaning to, fell asleep.

* * *

Felicita didn't know when she fell asleep, but the next thing she knew someone was waking her up. It was a soothing voice that was coaxing her to wake up and still partly asleep, she obeyed. Her vision was a little blurry as her eyes opened. A smiling face greeted her. At first she thought it was Ryner. She smiled slightly. Then, as her head began to clear, she noticed that something was different. Something was wrong. That smile . . . it looked evil, malicious. That wasn't Ryner.

That's when she noticed the knife point that was poised above her. She opened her mouth to scream, gasp, something, but her mouth was covered by an unknown hand and she was stabbed in the shoulder. She wanted to get up, but her body wouldn't let her. The girl checked her health bar. Her health had gone down slightly, though it wasn't yellow yet and next to the health bar was a paralysis symbol.

Felicita's eyes darted around wildly, trying to understand what was happening. Several people were standing around her, they all seemed to be male. Most of them were holding weapons and wearing cloaks, watching her with amused looks on their faces. Who were they? What were they doing?

The girl's eyes focused on the boy in front of her. He seemed to be smiling the widest, as if he were truly enjoying this, like it was some game.

"Hey, shorty." He said almost nonchalantly as if they were old friends and they were meeting for the first time in a while. "Surprise. Do you remember me?" Felicita could barely shake her head, due to the poison and her fear. "Oh come on," he coaxed softly. "You can try harder than that."

She looked at him. His identity didn't hit her for a while, but then she remembered the name he had called her, "shorty." She remembered Seiji beaten on the ground and her fight in the jungle with . . .

Felicita's eyes widened and she took a sharp intake of breath. He put his hand back over her mouth. "Now, now." He seemed to chastise her. "Don't be so loud. We wouldn't want to wake _him_ up now would we?" At first, Felicita had no idea who he was talking about. She looked at her captor confusedly. He chuckled darkly and turned slightly, gesturing behind him. One of his lackeys was squatting on his heels and on the ground next to him was a small, sleeping figure: Seiji.

The most Felicita could do as far as a reaction was jerk her body away from the boy near her in an attempt to get to her friend. That's when he sat next to her, putting a tight arm around her waist to keep her in place. Felicita felt her body tense up.

"Where are you going?" he asked in an obviously false, innocent voice. "The fun hasn't started yet." Felicita's heart dropped. He was planning something horrible, she knew it.

He grabbed the trembling girl's chin and made her face him as he spoke. "You're shaking." He said with a sadistic smile on his face. Felicita just continued to look at him, fearing what he was planning to do. "Now, let me explain to you what is going to happen here. You see these guys?" he asked, gesturing to the group of people around them. "These are some good friends of mine, and they're here to help me with my little . . . problem. See, when you fought me in that jungle, you humiliated me. It was quite embarrassing really, being beaten by a scrawny girl like you." At this he trailed a finger under her chin which made her shiver. "And then, to make it worse, you took my precious little friend with you as we were right in the middle of something _very_ important. So, as you can imagine, I am not very happy with you right now." He smirked at the girl he forcefully held as she stared at him in silent fear. "I wanted to find some way to make myself feel better because, after all, you hurt my pride. Then it hit me. What would really make me feel better is getting my revenge and watching you suffer. So, you are going to sit here and watch us finish the thing that we had started the day we first met. Then," he said pausing, "I might have some more fun with you." The hand that was on her chin, dropped and trailed up Felicita's leg. The petite girl's skin crawled with a mixture of hate, disgust, and absolute terror.

The boy beside her gave a signal to those that were surrounding them. One of then nodded and opened his menu. After a few minutes, a small screen appeared in front of Seiji. The one kneeling next to Seiji gently took Seiji's finger and pressed it to the screen. The screen disappeared and a timer appeared above them. It started at thirty seconds and began to count down.

Felicita desperately wanted to move, but the poison from the dagger was preventing it. All she could do was sit under the tree and watch. With ten seconds remaining, her captor whispered into her ear "I hope you will enjoy this, because I will." The timer reached zero and a "begin" icon appeared.

That was when the one who had sent the duel request pulled out his sword and shoved it into Seiji's back. "Sei . . . ji!" Felicita could barely say her friend's name in desperation before her mouth was covered again. Seiji startled awake. He looked around in confusion before he registered the pain from the sword sticking out of his body. He seemed to panic as he began to scream in pain and grope around his back, attempting to remove the weapon from where it was lodged. His screams weren't very loud, it was kind of soft, strangled, which made this all the more heart breaking for Felicita.

She struggled, trying desperately to move. The arm around her waist tightened, painfully. Panicked screams of her own began in her throat as the sword was twisted into her friend's back, the hilt sinking lower. Laughter came from her captor. The volume of Seiji's screams increased. The small boy began to thrash less, as if losing the will to fight. His body trembling, he looked to Felicita, whose eyes were widened in silent horror. He reached his small hand out to her and opened his mouth as if to say something. Then, his body shattered, scattering into the air, and Seiji knew no more.

* * *

Ryner stepped out of the inn. He looked around, trying to see if Seiji and Felicita were just coming toward them down the road. They were nowhere to be seen. A hollow feeling seemed to fill his chest, it was midnight and those two hadn't come back yet. He was very worried.

Footsteps came from behind him and a soft but urgent voice said "Do you see them?" he could tell this was Kinade.

"No." he answered her in a worried tone. A ringing sound came from the direction of the voice. After a while, Kinade moved next to him and showed him a map of the nearby town. She silently pointed to a small dot that was just outside of it. "Felicita?" he asked.

Kinade hummed in the affirmative. "She's not moving though, so be armed and ready just in case." Ryner nodded and pulled out his sword as he followed his friend, wondering what could have happened.

* * *

Felicita screamed and jerked forward. How cruel it was that the poison just wore off. She was quickly stabbed with the poison dagger again and she became paralyzed once more. She was pulled back so that she once again had her back resting against the tree.

She stared in numb shock at the place where Seiji disappeared from, she barely took notice of the laughter that rang out around her. The boy next to her stood up, he was laughing the hardest. "That was rich!" he yelled, kicking the dirt on the spot where Seiji had lain moments before. Then he turned to Felicita. "Now it's your turn." He pulled up his menu and pressed a few things before a small screen appeared in front of her, a duel request. "I had to send a request earlier to poison you, but since that duel just wore off, I need to ask you again!" Someone picked her finger up and pressed it to the screen. She tried to resist but the poison made her arm so limp, she might as well have been trying to Judo throw a mountain.

Agate, as the duel request had revealed her future killer's name to be, knelt beside her and held her chin, making her look up at him again. "Now," he began as the timer started to count down "I get to watch you squirm and writhe as I beat the crap out of you in the same type of duel you humiliated me in." he smiled again, maliciously. "Then, I think, we'll be even."

He equipped a sword and sat beside her, patiently waiting for the timer to hit zero. Felicita still could not believe that Seiji had died. He had been so innocent, he didn't deserve to die. Now she was shaking in fear of knowing that she would soon be with him.

The timer seemed to reach zero too quickly, because the next thing Felicita knew, a sword was sticking out of her abdomen. She gasped in pain, her arms lifted to try and remove the weapon, put hands came and held her down.

"No!" Agate yelled at them. "Leave her be! I want to see her struggle!" the hands moved away and Felicita's arms automatically, but slowly, grasped the blade, fruitlessly trying to remove it. "You know," Agate began to speak as if they were having a normal conversation. "NPCs can't make faces like that. That's what makes this so exhilarating."

Felicita's attacker picked the sword up and stabbed her through the chest this time. Felicita gave a strangled cry as her fingers weakly scratched at the place the blade had been stabbed. Agate laughed maniacally as he picked the sword up and repeatedly stabbed her. Felicita watched her health bar helplessly as it began to go down. Green . . . yellow . . . red. She was going to die.

A hand pulled the sword out of her and out of Agate's hand. Agate looked irritated, furious, but a cold, steady voice came from under the hood of the one that had saved her HP from going past red. "You're not supposed to kill her." It said.

"Tch." Agate said. "I know what I'm doing." He snatched his sword back and put it in his sheath. Soon after, the timer for their duel ran out and a "congratulations" icon appeared before Agate. He sighed dramatically. "Oh well. It's a shame that I can't kill you . . . yet. But I am satisfied for now." He stood up. "Remember what happened here today and hope that we never see each other again." With that, they all teleported, leaving Felicita alone under the tree by the lake.

* * *

Ryner ran behind Kinade. They had been running for a while now and Ryner was growing very impatient. They should have found Felicita and Seiji by now. He looked ahead of them, hoping to see something. That's when he saw what looked like a body by a lake. "There!" he yelled. The moonlight made it hard to tell, but he had a sinking feeling that it _was _a body near that lake and that it was either Seiji or Felicita. Kinade yelled as she sprinted harder.

* * *

Felicita did not know how long she laid there. She was curled up in the spot Seiji had died in. She sobbed for what seemed like hours until she slowly came to a stop. She seemed to be out of tears, her body was exhausted so she just laid there trembling. Then, she even lost the strength to tremble, so she lay there motionless, desperatly hoping that death would take her.

She barely noticed when her sister ran up and hurriedly flipped her over. She barely noticed her HP fill up and become green again as Kinade used a healing crystal. She barely noticed when her sister wrapped her in a tight hug, then said her name, asking her if she was alright.

"Fel-chan?" Kinade said, now thoroughly concerned about her younger sister as she wasn't saying anything. "Fel-chan!" she said louder, shaking her sister by the shoulders.

After a while, Felicita finally looked up at her sister. "Onee-chan?" she said. Ryner and Kinade were startled at this. The small girl sounded . . . broken.

"Yes." Kinade assured her. "It's me. What happened Fel-chan? Where's Seiji?"

There was silence. Then Felicita said "Seiji?" her older sister nodded. "Seiji." Felicita's voice broke at this and a tear rolled down her cheek. Then she began to sob again. "It was a sleep PK!" she said between breaths. That's when she told them everything that happened. How she and Seiji decided to rest under the tree when Seiji refused to go back to the inn to sleep. How she had fallen asleep without meaning to and woke up to Agate paralyzing her. How she could only watch as Seiji died before her and how she was almost killed the same way. By the time Felicita finished her retelling, Kinade had let go of her, her hands down by her sides. Ryner had let his sword tip touch the ground and just stared.

"I couldn't do anything!" Felicita said between sobs. "I felt so helpless! I couldn't do anything! I-." Then, to her surprise and Ryner's, Kinade slapped her. Felicita suddenly went silent. Her older sister had never hit her before. Felicita's hand went to the place where she had been struck. "Onee-?"

"Suzuka, shut up!" Kinade yelled, standing up and cutting off her little sister, surprising her even more by using her real name. "Just shut the hell up!" Kinade was shaking. "Don't give me that crap! You could've done _something!_ You could've come home earlier. You could have stayed awake. You could have acted _responsible _for once, but _no _you _had_ to stay out _here_ in the middle of the night where every damn thing could possibly go wrong!" Kinade paused here, but she did not stop. "You know what? Everything that goes wrong is your fault! Seiji died because of you! I logged into this game and got stuck in it because of you! Kyou-san is probably suffering now because of you! And our parents left us because of you!"

Felicita still sat on the ground, crying silently. Every point that her sister made against her stung and broke her heart. Everything her sister had just said left her speechless.

Kinade was breathing hard staring down at her little sister. As a tear slid down Kinade's cheek, she turned away. "You're so weak. _Juvenile. _Why don't you just grow up already and stop ruining my life?" with that, Kinade stormed away.

Then it was just Felicita and Ryner. Ryner looked down at the girl, they were both still in shock. Felicita finally looked up at him. "Ryner-kun?" she seemed to beg. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Then Ryner clenched his jaw and shook his head at her. Felicita's heart shattered as he walked away. She reached her arms out, as if to grab him, pull him back, but they fell limply to the ground. She watched as the people she loved walked down the path and were gone.

Felicita didn't know what to do now, so she sat there, still staring into the distance. Her sister's words were still ringing in her ears. Suddenly, she stood up angry. How could she have caused any of that? She hadn't known that Seiji would die, that they would be stuck in this goddamn death game, or that her selfish, good for nothing parents would divorce and leave them as if they were something unpleasant that they had scraped off of their shoes. And she was_ not_ weak! She had survived this long hadn't she?

The girl pulled out a teleport crystal. _I'll show her. _Felicita thought just before the crystal shattered and she disappeared from Floor 22.

**A/N: Well that was kind of . . . sad. At least for me it was. I actually got a little emotional as I was writing (typing?) this. Did you guys feel it too? It might have just been me because I inflicted pain upon my "children." (Ok, don't judge me! My OCs are practically my children. I create them and then I throw them into their lives.) And to think that this is only part one. So yeah, please review, follow, favorite, whatever the hell you guys want to do. I would greatly appreciate it if you did one or more of the first three things I suggested. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8: Cruelty and Coincidence Part2

Chapter 8: Cruelty and Coincidence Part 2

**A/N: Ugh. Ok. Finally finished with this chapter. This is the longest one I have written so far. I had originally planned on making it shorter but one thing led to another and this came to be. I had also planned on posting this a lot earlier but I had some writer's block. I have literally been working on this chapter for about four days. That doesn't sound like much but it is for me. I usually type a chapter one day and pretty it up and post it the next. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. I worked hard on it!**

The streets were dark, it was barely past two in the morning. Despite how early it was, there were several people milling about, going about their own business. A cool breeze swept through the plaza. It made the leaves on the trees rustle and the grass sway lazily. Some players pulled their cloaks tighter around themselves, trying to shield themselves from Aincrad's cold, autumn air. Felicita, however, welcomed the cold.

The petite girl had appeared earlier in the square with a flash of bright, white light. She had looked around, studying her surroundings, for they could quite possibly be one of the last things she ever saw. At this thought, though, she felt nothing. She felt hollow inside, numb. She didn't care anymore, she just wanted to get this over with.

As she stepped down from the teleportation platform, and felt the cool air, she smiled a humorless smile. There was hardly any emotion in it at all. The best word that could be used to describe it was bitter. The cold seemed to greet her, like an old friend, her only friend now.

The smile quickly vanished, replaced by a cold, stoic expression, as Felicita began to walk. She went out of the square and through the town to the outskirts where a large, wide column seemed to extend from the ground to the next floor above.

A large, wooden door loomed in front of the small girl. She stopped within her arm's length of it, looking up at its enormity. Slowly, her eyes lowered to her eye level. _So this is the dungeon of this floor. _Felicita placed her palm on the wooden surface. She had plans for this dungeon. It was the dungeon of Floor 42, and it was yet to be cleared. Felicita planned to clear this floor alone. Then, she planned to take on the boss, alone. She was either going to prove herself or die trying, for there was nothing left that she felt was worth living for anymore.

* * *

Kinade was walking very briskly, jogging was actually a more precise word for it but it was still a little off. Tears were streaming down her face, but she barely noticed them as so many thoughts raced through her mind. She could faintly hear Ryner calling her name in the distance.

She couldn't understand. Everything was so normal a few hours ago. Now so many things had . . . gone wrong.

For one, Seiji was dead. Kinade couldn't believe that. She was scrolling through her friends list and couldn't find him anywhere. Seiji was so innocent. How could he die? When she had first met Seiji, she thought he was kind of adorable. He was so shy and wouldn't talk much, but he was sweet. As time went on, he was so happy and he laughed so much. It was somehow contagious. He got along with everyone, yet he seemed to really take a liking to . . .

Felicita. The thought of her sister made Kinade stop walking. Felicita. Kinade didn't know what to think of her and their relationship right now. They were sisters, they had been through a lot together, but . . .

Kinade shook her head, eyes closed and a hand on each side of her face. Her world was so screwed up. She had been so close with her younger sister. What happened?

"Kinade!" the girl in question turned around at the sound of her name. Ryner was running up behind her. He stopped next to her, panting. He looked into her eyes as he tried to catch his breath. His hand slightly reached out, as if he was going to touch her, but the hand hesitated and went back down. "You're crying." He stated simply.

The girl laughed humorlessly. "That's what happens when you lose someone you care about."

"Just _a _someone?" he asked skeptically.

Kinade looked at him for a moment before she continued to walk, her eyes determinedly looking forward.

Ryner had to jog a little to keep up. "What about Fel? You know, your _sister?_"

Kinade barely glanced at her friend. "What about her?"

"Don't you think you were a little harsh?"

"No. Didn't you hear what I said? She needs to grow up and learn how to hold her own."

"She's lived this long hasn't she?"

"If you had wanted to take her side you shouldn't have followed me."

"I'm not taking her side. I agree with _you._"

"That's not how you're making this sound right now. What exactly is your point?"

Ryner didn't know what to say for a bit. What _was_ his point? Why was he defending Felicita if he agreed with Kinade? In fact, why did he now feel like he should have stayed by that tree near the lake instead of following Kinade?

He shook his head. "I-I agree with you." He repeated. "Fel could have shown some responsibility and come home, but how was she supposed to know that Seiji would die?" his voice broke on the last word. He paused before quietly continuing. "She had just witnessed his death and_ she_ almost died herself. Then you just . . . slapped her and yelled at her. Couldn't you have waited for that?"

Kinade stopped. They were on the porch of the inn now. "No." she said softly. "She needed to hear it."

Ryner ran his hand through his hair. "Shouldn't we have at least brought her home with us?"

"She'll come back on her own." Kinade said, looking down.

They stood there in silence. "What are we gonna do about Riku and Silica?" Ryner asked.

"They don't need to know right now. Let them sleep in peace just one more night." Kinade answered. Ryner nodded. Then he couldn't resist staring down the road they had just come from. He couldn't help but hope that a certain short, flat-chested girl would be walking toward them on it.

Kinade caught him staring. She watched him for a minute. "Do you like her?" The girl asked.

Ryner looked at her quickly. "Wh-what? No! I-I mean she's not the one . . ." he trailed off, his face slightly red.

Kinade finally understood. She instantly felt bad for him. She didn't want to have to break it to him and hurt his feelings so she quickly changed the subject. "Let's go inside. It's been a long day." She said coldly. "Go get some rest."

"But-." Ryner began to argue.

"She'll come back on her own time." Kinade cut him off and opened the door. He stood there for a minute, looking as if he may try to argue further. Then he walked through the door, even though he knew he was probably not going to be able to sleep.

Kinade looked down the road for a moment. Today was definitely not supposed to start this way. She turned with a sharp "hmph" and went inside.

* * *

Felicita had barely been inside the dungeon for one minute before she was overrun. Of course, that was to be expected. It was a high level dungeon after all.

At first, she thought the problem had been that she had run into a spiders' nest. But _no. _After she had barely escaped from _that _she_ had_ to be chased by giant centipedes. Her life was just _fantastic!_

She barely dodged as one of them lunged at her. Then she had to quickly parry away the pincers of another and run. She skidded around the corner just as an insect charged by her and slammed into the wall.

Felicita was breathing hard. She checked her health bar and it was in the yellow. She registered that fact just as a centipede lunged at her again. She rolled and slashed at it. It reared and roared as it shattered and disappeared. The girl barely had time to feel triumphant before about five more were upon her. She wasn't as lucky this time as one of the bugs was able to knock her into a wall. She gasped as her back struck the hard surface and she fell to the ground, dazed.

Her vision blurred and went in and out of focus. She tried blinking to make it right itself. With every blink, her eyesight corrected itself. She felt around for her sword, which had fallen out of her hand. When her fingers touched the handle, she moved over to grasp it and pulled it over to her body with a soft moan. She looked above her, and it was suddenly dark. _Why is it dark?_

Her eyes focused and she realized it was a centipede bearing down on her. It lurched down, as if to eat her. Felicita quickly put her sword tip up with a yell and it caught the insect in its mouth . . . but not before a pincer entered her shoulder. She clenched her jaw as she waited for the monster to disintegrate.

She laid there briefly, panting. Then, as she noticed the other monsters creep toward her, she rolled onto her stomach and staggered up, subconsciously holding the shoulder of her sword arm. She backed up slowly, warily watching her attackers. They slowly inched toward her, pincers snapping. Felicita seemed to jump five feet in the air as her back hit something. Glancing behind her, she realized it was a wall.

"Shit." She whispered to herself as she tried to figure out what to do. She was surrounded. One of the insects crawled close to her. Panicking, she slashed her sword at it, decapitating it. When it shattered, she took the opening and bolted through it, barely catching herself when she tripped. They were chasing her again. _Why don't they just give up?_

Felicita glanced at her health bar again. It just entered the red. _Is this how it's going to end?_

The petite girl continued to run, even though she knew that those damn insects were catching up. Suddenly, her sword was jerked from her hand. Her shoulder was jerked back with it and she was forced to turn around. One of the centipedes had grabbed her sword with its mouth and had tossed it somewhere, she couldn't see it anymore. An insect rammed into her and she fell to the floor. She stared up at it as it reared, ready to strike. Felicita smirked as the pincers descended upon her.

* * *

Kinade sat in the common room of the inn. She sat in a chair in the corner, but in good view of the door. She kept the room dark. She had no desire to see it right now. She had no desire to see anything. She just sat there waiting for . . . something.

Her arms and legs were crossed, her eyes staring blankly into the center of the room. She was growing impatient, her foot was absently bouncing up and down and her teeth were grinding. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She put her hand in the air and swiftly moved it down, opening her menu. She pressed some buttons and opened up her friends list. She scrolled through it until she found who she was looking for. Kinade tapped Felicita's name and waited for the map to pull up. _Why isn't she back yet?_

At first, Kinade didn't recognize the map that came up. A dot with her sister's name tagged to it showed up but Kinade had no idea what this place was. Then she noticed the title: Floor 42. Kinade was shocked. _What was she doing there?_

She stood up quickly. _That stupid girl. _Kinade didn't bother waking Ryner or the others, she had to deal with this herself. She barely kept herself from slamming the door as she stormed out of the inn.

* * *

Felicita was confused when she noticed she was still alive. The insect in front of her shattered and its data disappeared into the air. For a moment, she was staring at the ceiling. She blinked then looked around her. A blur went by and killed the other bugs with a sword. As they all disintegrated, the blur put the sword back in its sheath. It was Kinade.

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before Kinade stomped toward the younger sister. "What the hell were you doing up here? You baka!" Kinade angrily yelled at her. Felicita just stared. "Did you think you could clear this on your own? Are you really that naïve? You're not strong enough! This is what I meant by juvenile and irresponsible! What did you not understand?"

This made Felicita speak. "Why did you save me?" her voice was quavering in anger. "If you hated me, why did you save me?"

Kinade looked at her a moment, her eyes narrowed. "Death is not the answer to stupidity." Was her answer. There was silence as they looked at each other. Then, as Felicita turned away, Kinade added. "You can't keep rushing into things without thinking first."

Felicita wanted to say something back, but she held her tongue, she was not in the mood for a fight with her sister right now. She began to walk away, but her older sister appeared in front of her. "Let me go." Felicita said darkly.

"No." Kinade answered firmly.

"Why don't we just leave here? You have teleportation crystals don't you?"

"You'll still runaway if we leave." Kinade said with her arms crossed.

Felicita didn't want to fight, but she would if she had to. She drew the spare sword that she had in her inventory. "Move." She growled dangerously. Kinade stood there, a determined look on her face.

Felicita was really irritated now. She lunged at her sister, trying to stab her. Before she could blink, Kinade had used her sword to redirect her younger sister's blow above her head. _When did she draw her sword? _Felicita was stunned. This left an opening for Kinade to kick her in the stomach sending Felicita sprawling. Felicita was really pissed now. She yelled as she got up and tried to slash her sword at her sister. Kinade calmly knocked the sword aside. It spun out of Felicita's hand and before she could do anything, Kinade hit her in the side with the hilt of her weapon. Felicita clutched at it as she sank to the ground.

Kinade sighed. Then she pulled out a healing crystal and made Felicita's health return to green. The younger sister slowly stood up, her hands clenched by her sides. "We get out of here together." Kinade said. "We need to talk anyway."

"About what?" Felicita asked sharply.

"We're sisters and we are fighting each other in a death game. We should try to get along."

They stared each other down. It was obvious that they hated each other right now. They're eyes were narrowed and, if Felicita's hands were real, she would be clenching them so hard that her nails would have broken the skin of her palm and gone into her hands by now.

Finally Kinade turned and started walking. "Come on, we have a long way to go."

Felicita made a "tch" sound as she picked up her sword and, after hesitating, followed her sister.

* * *

The two sisters walked in awkward silence for the majority of their trip. Neither of them knew what to say. Both of them had at least a small desire to make up, but they didn't know how to go about doing it. The closest thing they had for a conversation was when they had to fight monsters and fought together. They hadn't said anything, but at least it had been something.

Kinade had, by this time, sent a message to Ryner, explaining where she had gone and not to worry because they were coming back. Now, the two girls were walking side by side, though a little distanced from one another, and Kinade had finally gotten tired of the silence.

"Suzuka-." She began.

"That's not my name." her sister cut her off quickly.

Kinade sighed. "Felicita."

Before she could say anything else, Felicita said sharply. "There's nothing for us to talk about. Now I know your true feelings. I have nothing to say."

Kinade said nothing for a while, she only looked at her sister from the corner of her eye. Then she tried again, "You could at least tell me how _you_ feel. I want to be able to work this out but you need to cooperate." Felicita didn't answer. "Felicita-!"

"There's the exit." Felicita cut her sister off. It was true, they had finally gotten to the exit. They had almost reached the wooden doors when Kinade placed herself in front of Felicita.

"We haven't worked this out yet."

"Why are you doing this?" Felicita yelled at her sister. "I still don't understand!" Kinade opened her mouth but Felicita continued. "If you had felt that way this whole time, why didn't you say anything? Why did you lead me on, letting me believe that my sister loved me? I loved you and all this time you hated me! What you did was cruel and-."

"I did love you!" Kinade interjected. "You are my sister and for the longest time you were my only family!" Felicita didn't know what to say, so she just stared. "I'm doing this because I want us to be able to feel close like we used to be." Kinade was telling the truth. She felt that she still loved her sister, but so many things kept happening to them that made her want to blame it on someone else. That person had unfortunately been her sister.

Felicita's throat seemed to constrict. "Onee-chan." Felicita was a little relieved. Her sister made up the majority of her world. What she was saying to her meant a lot.

They looked at each other. The corner of Kinade's mouth twitched at the sound of her sister's name for her. That was a good first step. Then, Felicita noticed her sister's body become rigid. "Onee-?" Before Felicita could finish, Kinade shoved her. The younger girl fell to the ground. Her first instinct was to cuss her sister out, but as she looked up she froze. A large spider was over her, and in its pincers was her older sister. Someone screamed as Felicita drove her sword into the spider's underbelly. Felicita wasn't sure, but it might have been her.

The spider hissed and thrashed, Kinade flinched as she was thrashed around as well. She was trying to keep the pincers from cutting her in half. This didn't help much though, her health was depleting rapidly.

Finally, the spider stilled and shattered, blue and green bits of its data dissipating into the air. Kinade was left standing and Felicita was still on the ground. Relief spread through her as she let her sword fall next to her. Then Kinade smirked as she fell backward. Felicita quickly caught her and laid her head in her lap. She was confused until she saw her sister's health bar. It was in the red and still depleting.

Panicked, Felicita reached for a healing crystal. Kinade calmly put a hand on her sister's. Felicita looked at her sister fearfully. Kinade looked into her sister's eyes. "Baka." She said to her younger sister. Then, her HP hit zero and she shattered. Honoka Tachibana was dead.

* * *

Fellicta did not know how long she sat there. She was surprised that she was crying. She thought that Seiji's death had taken up all her tears. But this was worse than Seiji's death. It was ten times worse. She half wished that another spider would come and kill her. No such thing happened though. What was she supposed to do now? She stood up. She decided that she couldn't just leave without an explanation. She decided to go back to her guild.

Felicita was numbly trudging down the road to the inn her guild was staying at. She was staring at the ground, her hands hung limply by her sides. She didn't notice that Ryner was running up to her until he called her name. She looked up as he stopped right in front of her.

"Fel," he said, out of breath. "I'm glad you back. I was worried when Kinade didn't come back, and then, when she sent that message, I couldn't help but wait outside for you." He looked her in the eyes. "You shouldn't have run off like that, Fel. It was irresponsible." He looked around her. "Now where's Kinade? I need to tell her that too." When Felicita didn't answer, he looked at her. "Felicita?"

It was a while before she answered. "Kinade's dead."

Ryner just looked at her. "What?"

Felicita answered in a quavering voice. "She's dead."

Ryner slowly shook his head in disbelief. A hand ran through his hair as he looked at the ground. "She . . . She can't be . . . dead. She's Kinade. She can't die. How did this . . .?" He looked at Felicita. "You." He said, shock turning to anger. "It was like Seiji all over again wasn't it? You let her die. This is your fault."

"No. Ryner-." Felicita wanted to explain herself, but Ryner continued.

"You couldn't have just come home? You had to run away and make your sister chase after you? This just proves that what she said was true. You killed Seiji! You killed Kinade! All this is your fault!" He pointed his finger at her accusingly. "I loved her and you let her die!"

Felicita couldn't take it anymore. She finally burst. "Do you think I don't know that? I watched both of them die! I tried to help you get with Kinade, which was a waste of time! And do you want to know why? It was because Kinade swore off love after our parents divorced each other for other people and left us alone with no one to take care of us! She thought love was stupid! It caused a lot of crap to happen! She wanted to focus on _important _things like school and making our lives better! She wanted to be a lawyer, she was a great person and you have the nerve to say that I let her die?"

Ryner looked at her, stunned. "If it was so pointless, why did you try to help me?"

"I loved her! I wanted her to be happy and I thought love could do that for her. She hardly ever worried about herself." Despite was Felicita was saying, she still felt like a horrible person. She still felt that she had killed Seiji and her sister. She wasn't worthy enough to have known them. "You seemed like a good person." She continued. "You might have been best for her." She was not going to admit that she did it because she loved him too, but she _was _hoping that her words would make him hate her less.

That didn't work. Ryner looked at her with cold eyes. "What you did was cruel." He said. "And I will never forgive you for it." Those words seemed to stab Felicita in the heart. Ryner stared her in the eyes one last time before he turned and walked away.

Felicita didn't want to see him go, but she couldn't bring herself to call him back. Her heart ached in her chest. She didn't know what she was feeling, but it hurt, a lot.

Ryner was gone.

Felicita felt tears flowing down her cheeks. She wondered again how she still had enough tears to cry. She turned and walked the way she came, slowly at first, then she sped up until she began to run and went to the only place she knew that could take her pain away.

* * *

Riku was sitting next to Silica on a couch in the inn's common area. Silica was crying into her hands and Riku had a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her despite how much she felt like crying herself. Pina was on Silica's other shoulder, moaning sadly. They weren't quite sure what had happened, but all Ryner told them was that Seiji was dead. They had checked their menus and couldn't find him anywhere. Now, Ryner, Felicita, and Kinade were all gone.

Ryner burst through the door and the two girls instantly stood up.

"Ryner-san." Riku went up to him and confronted him immediately. "What happened? Where are Felicita-san and Kinade-san?" it was hard for her to ask him because he was walking very swiftly to the staircase.

"Kinade's dead." He answered. "And Felicita's not coming back."

"What?" Silica asked.

"Ryner-san, you need to give us more than that! What is going on?" Riku barely said through her shock.

Ryner angrily swatted Pina away who was circling him. "Not right now!" he yelled. "Just leave me alone!" He went up the stairs and slammed the door to his room behind him.

Riku stood at the foot of the staircase. She could hear Pina squawking and hitting the door. She had no idea what was happening. She heard a ringing sound and looked to see Silica looking through her menu. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Looking for Felicita-chan." Silica said, her voice tight.

Riku immediately went to her friend's side. Silica tapped Felicita's name and a moment later, a map of the first floor came up. They were confused as to why she was there, but both of them immediately set off, Pina following behind them. They wanted answers and Felicita was the only one left that could give them what they wanted.

* * *

Felicita was standing on the ledge of the first floor. The setting sun painted the clouds below her an orange color. Felicita had seen many people jump before, especially after the first week in the game. It seemed an easy, painless way to die. It was perfect for what she wanted to do. She wanted to finish where it all started. Then she might be able to atone for . . . everything.

She took a step forward and she started to fall. The air rushing by her felt nice. Then it stopped. She could feel hands grabbing her armor and pulling her back up. She was hoisted over the edge and she fell to the ground. She looked around her and saw Riku and Silica sitting on the ground beside her, panting. She was surprised.

Riku looked up at her sharply. "What were you doing?" she yelled. "Do you want to die?"

"Yes." Felicita answered truthfully.

Riku and Silica looked at each other. "What's going on?" Silica asked her. "You can tell us Felicita-chan. Please! We want to know. All Ryner-chan told us was that Seiji-kun and Kinade-san were dead and that you were leaving. Let us understand! Let us help you."

Felicita stood up. "No." she said. "You can't help me." She began to walk away.

"What are you doing, Felicita-san?" Riku asked in a panicked voice.

"Leaving." Felicita said as she began to run.

* * *

Felicita wasn't quite sure where she was. Somewhere in the fields on the first floor. She didn't bother checking her map though. Right now, she was too busy deleting her former guild mates off of her friends list. Her desire for suicide had faded now. She doubted the universe would let her do it if she tried again anyway.

She had come to a few conclusions as she sat there. One was that she labeled the feeling that made her heart hurt so much. It was loneliness. It hurt like hell. She never knew that an emotion could hurt this much. But maybe it was best for her. She always seemed to cause trouble for the people around her. Maybe loneliness was best, safer anyway.

Also, she decided that killing herself wasn't best either. Kinade had made her promise not to die and because she knew that she had loved the Kinade that had asked that of her, she was going to try her best to stay alive. In addition to that, she was going to try her best to better herself. She felt that, if she could improve the flaws her sister had said she had, maybe she could better atone that way.

Felicita wasn't quite sure how she was going to do that, but she would do it somehow.

She looked out over the fields. It was dark now, but she could still see some boars grazing. To think that those things could have killed her that day about a year ago.

Deciding that maybe she would find a room at an inn in the nearby town, Felicita began to exit her menu. That's when she noticed the date: October 1st 2023. She stared at it for a while before closing her menu. She sat there quietly for a long time. Then soft laughter began to come from her throat. It slowly grew louder and eventually became hysterical. She went on her hands and knees before rolling onto her side, then her back. She laughed openly to the air, her arms and legs spread out. Then, as tears began to come and her laughs became oddly mixed with sobs, she thought bitterly to herself "Happy Birthday to me."

**A/N: Ok, so maybe this isn't the kind of chapter you would enjoy reading. So much crap happens. I'm not sure what you would call it when you feel so much hurtful emotion in a chapter of a story yet you still want to keep reading. You're not really "enjoying" it. Anyway I want to officially announce that the number of favorites, follows, and reviews for this story have individually reached the double digits! *applause* Yes thank you! I would like to thank those of you that have contributed to these numbers. I love you guys! As for those of you reading that have not done any of those things: what the hell is wrong with you?! Do you not like me or something? Am I just that unlovable? Inner voice: yes, you killed Seiji and Kinade. Me: I really hate myself sometimes. Thank you conscience. So yeah, please review, favorite, and follow. I really want to know how I did with this chapter. I feel like I rushed it a bit and the way that I show emotion is off. My next chapter should be up after the usual waiting time.**


	9. Chapter 9: A Gray Christmas

Chapter 9: A Gray Christmas

**A/N: So, here's my chapter 9. I managed to post a little earlier than I thought I would, mostly because I had writer's block on how to begin this chapter. Anyway, this is kind of a filler . . . I think, so please enjoy!**

2023/11/13

It was a cold, November night on Floor 45. Barely anyone was outside. They were all either at home or in a restaurant or something. The lanterns outside shone their warm light on the streets below. A bright crescent moon could be seen in the sky amongst the stars in the distance, the rays of moonlight gently adding to the brightness of the town.

However, all of this light was not enough to completely illuminate a dark figure walking across the square. This figure wore a dark, gray cloak around its shoulders, the hood was up and it kept their face well hidden. The figure seemed to lack any weapons, but, on close inspection, it could be seen that the figure had two knives, each one was holstered and strapped to a different thigh. Despite the figure's short, small stature, there was a certain air about them that was . . . intimidating and forbade anyone from drawing near.

The figure silently made its way across the square and over to a sort of tavern. It wasn't the busiest or most famous tavern in all of Aincrad, but it had a rather fair amount of customers daily.

As the door into the tavern opened, the noise inside died down before quickly picking back up again. Some of the customers inside had paused for a moment to see who had entered the establishment, but when they glimpsed the shady figure, they decided it would be in their best interest if they minded their own business.

The figure looked around, warily, before it made its way to the back and sat at a table in the corner. It sat down and leaned against the wall, it stretched its legs straight out, slightly to the side of the table and crossed its arms and ankles, waiting.

A few minutes later, a slightly nervous looking waitress walked up to the table. "Hello! Welcome to the Sake Tavern! What can I get for you today?" The waitress tried her best to say it cheerfully but ended up just showing how intimidated she was by this person.

The figure quickly glanced up at the waitress, slightly amused that she was so intimidated. The low lights inside the tavern quickly illuminated the face under the hood. It was Felicita. Of course, the waitress didn't know that, no one did. Felicita always did her best to keep her identity a secret. As Felicia lowered her face, once again covering it in shadow, the waitress was taken aback by what she saw. It was a young girl. How was it that she found someone so much younger than her to be so . . . frightening?

Felicia quickly gave her order and the waitress rushed off to put it in. The girl in gray looked around at the scene around her. The Sake Tavern. She had been there several times before, but she still found the name amusing as sake did not exist in SAO.

The waitress came around again and dropped off a drink she had on a tray. As she walked away, Felicita took the cup and looked at the dark red liquid inside. It reminded her of wine . . . and slightly of blood too. She slowly swirled it around in the cup before she took a small sip. It tasted sweet, almost fruity._ If only it were alcoholic. _The girl thought with a bitter smile on her face. She was underage and never had alcohol before, but the idea was very appealing to her at that point.

She grimaced as she heard a loud crash from the other side of the room. Of course a fight had to start. _So much for peace and quiet._ Not for the first time that night, Felicita thought about how she would rather be sleeping, but she hadn't eaten in a while and it was starting to affect her. Also, there were some perks to going out into public. She could listen in on people's conversations and gather information. Like now for instance. She stilled herself to listen as a nearby conversation caught her attention.

"Have you heard about it?" a boy was saying to his friend. "If it really does exist, then everyone will be looking for it."

"What are you talking about, Koji?" His friend asked.

Koji leaned in slightly, making Felicita strain to hear him when he spoke again. "There's a rumor going around about something that wasn't in the beta-test." Felicita inconspicuously sipped her cup again.

"Really?" Koji's friend asked, sounding a little skeptical.

Koji nodded. "I've heard that, on Christmas Eve, there's a chance to get a rare item." Felicita's head perked up slightly. This sounded promising.

"Like what?" His friend asked, only half-interested.

Koji quickly looked around before continuing. "A revival item." Felicita froze, her cup halfway to her lips. She barely acknowledged the waitress with a "thank you" as her food was dropped off.

"A revival item?" Koji's friend asked skeptically.

Koji nodded. "Do you think we should try to get it?"

Koji's friend looked at Koji. "It's just a rumor, Koji. It probably doesn't exist. Besides, even if it did exist, some kind of catch must come with it. Think about it, that kind of item in this game?"

Koji's expression fell slightly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

His friend elbowed him. "Hey, we don't need it anyway right?"

Koji shrugged. "I guess . . . but I was kinda just thinking . . . just in case. You know?"

Both boys looked at each other for a moment. Then the friend smiled. "As long as we're careful, we won't need it." Koji smiled back at him. "Come on. Let's go." With that, they both stood up and left.

Long after they were gone, Felicita still sat at her table in the corner, her food barely touched. She was thinking about her possible opportunity at atonement.

* * *

2023/12/24

It was cold on Christmas Eve night in the maze on Floor 35. Snow covered everything, the trees, the ground. It was like a blanket. It was cold, but the only warm clothing Felicita had on was her cloak. She kept the hood up as she walked. Her menu was open so she could refer to the map. She looked around, confusedly. She was sure that she had followed them here, but where were they? They couldn't just disappear.

That's when she heard something. More like sensed it. She glanced behind herself into the darkness of the path she had just come from. Then, she dashed into the shadows of the trees surrounding her and disappeared. Hiding in the darkness behind a tree, she stood absolutely still, watching the path she had just left. She waited there for several minutes.

Finally, after her footprints had disappeared under the freshly fallen snow, she could hear footfalls and the sound of clanking metal. Her body tensed slightly, her hands going to the knives at her sides as figures began to appear. They all wore the same blue and gray armor. They all had swords, and some of them had shields and helmets with visors that covered their eyes. It was the Holy Dragon Alliance.

Felicita smirked to herself. _Guess I got ahead of them._ So she was right. These guys were predictable. They did anything for rare items, no matter how sketchy the info on it was. And with the rumor of this revival item going around, she knew that they would go looking for it. They would lead her straight to it.

The only real problem for her was getting it. She planned on letting them fight for her to get it. For the past month, Felicita had done some digging and discovered that the event boss was Nicholas the Renegade and appeared under a fir tree at midnight. He was supposed to be really powerful. She had originally planned on fighting him alone, but then the idea of following the Holy Dragon Alliance came to mind and she decided against it. Besides, if she died it would be pointless.

She needed that revival item to bring back Seiji. Several things had gone into that decision. When she had first heard about the revival item, she knew it was a key to her atonement. But then a dilemma made her hesitate. _Who should I bring back?_ She had thought long and hard about it. She had loved them both and had been the cause of their deaths. But, there was only one revival item. She had finally decided on Seiji. Felicita wanted, more than anything else in the world to make up with her sister, but Kinade would never forgive Felicita if she chose her to revive instead of Seiji. Seiji was innocent, a child. Kinade always but others before herself, including children.

When Seiji was revived, Felicita planned to return him to the Timber Wolves. He would probably hate her after he learned what had happened that day. Felicita wanted him to be happy and to spend his time with people that loved him and would protect him ten times better than she ever could.

She watched as the players marched passed her, unaware that they had a stalker. She would get that revival item. She didn't care how. She would fight them, steal it from them if she had to. But she would get it and right at least one of her wrongs.

As the Holy Dragon Alliance passed, Felicita stepped out from around her tree to follow them only to be thoroughly confused. They were gone. She looked around. _Where could they have gone off to? They're not fast enough to suddenly be so far ahead of me._ She looked ahead of her, down the path she had been planning to take. She noticed a soft glow coming from a rock up ahead. Suddenly feeling wary, she pulled out her knives, taking one in each hand, and ran forward.

As she got closer to it, she felt herself go through . . . something. Earlier, it had seemed as though nothing was there but air, but now she felt herself pass through something as a white light shone around her.

When the light finally faded, she felt the tense atmosphere. She looked ahead of her and saw the members of the Holy Dragon Alliance that she was following. She wondered why they weren't moving. Then she heard a voice say "Go on! We'll hold them off!" Felicita looked in the direction of the voice. Through the crowd of gray and blue, she saw a flash of red. _Who the hell is that? _

She could hear someone running as she heard feet briefly move across the snow. Then, as the sound of running faded, a fight broke out. As Felicita watched, she noticed that the Holy Dragon Alliance was fighting against a smaller group. There were only a few of them and they were all dressed in red. She began to feel impressed by the red group as they continued to fight the Holy Dragon Alliance members. They held their own pretty well and seemed to be winning.

Then a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance noticed her. He charged and Felicita sighed as she side stepped. He went passed her and she stabbed him in the side where a gap in his armor was. He clutched at it as he turned to look at her.

"Don't force me to kill you." Felicita said tiredly. He roared and charged her again. Seeing no other choice, Felicita did what she had to do. As he came up to her, Felicita crouched. Then, when it looked like he would run into her, she sprang up. With a flash of her knives his head came off. It rolled a small distance away before it shattered, along with the body.

Felicita sighed, her body in a relaxed position. She always tried to avoid killing people but that didn't seem to be working out for her right now.

She turned toward the rest of the fight. She smiled to herself. _Well, I might as well join in. _Then she charged into the fray.

The fighting went on for a while. At first, the guys in red tried to attack Felicita but when she saved one of them who had weird, pink hair and a scruffy chin, they fought alongside her. Felicita wasn't sure why she was helping them. Maybe she would use them to get the revival item instead. There were less of them but they fought better than the group of Holy Dragon Alliance members she was following. Anyway, when she finally made her move to get the revival item, there would be less people for her to fight against.

As the fight progressed and the number of Holy Dragon Alliance members dwindled, some of Felicita's enemies began to flee. Some of them made a strategic, dignified withdrawal while others just dropped their weapons and ran, screaming occasionally.

Felicita and her newly found "allies" tried to avoid killing people, but sometimes, it was unavoidable. They gave them chances to run but they kept coming back so they were inevitably killed. Felicita was relieved when they began to run.

Eventually there was only one left, but he refused to run. He fearlessly stood his ground and continued to fight. It was two against one: the last Holy Dragon Alliance member against Felicita and the guy she had saved earlier. Felicita felt . . . strange, fighting with this man. He was fairly skilled swordsman. He wielded what looked like a katana and he had a bandana tied around his head. The way the worked together in a battle wasn't weird, in fact, they worked pretty well together. Felicita thought about it. Then she put her finger on it. _It's been a long time since if fought _with _someone._

Felicita and her temporary partner circled their opponent. He was pretty big. He held a large, two-handed sword as he watched them. Suddenly, Felicita struck. She dashed in and slashed at him when he had briefly stopped watching her. She was able to scratch him, but he was able to avoid most of the damage by turning his body so the brunt of her blow struck his armor. That's when her partner charged in. He ran up, switching with Felicita, and made it seem like he was going to stab his enemy in the shoulder. That was soon proved to be a feint as he quickly sidestepped and moved his leg to hit his opponent in the back of the leg. This made him fall backwards, leaving him open. As he struggled to catch himself, Felicita switched with her partner and sliced up with one of her knives. She cut the back of her opponent's hand and, as he yelled in pain, he dropped his sword. Before he could blink, Felicita's knives were crossed at his throat. Everyone froze.

Felicita looked into her opponent's eyes and he looked into hers. Both were narrowed. Felicita was daring him to try to continue fighting. He challenged her to kill him. Then, slowly, he put his hands up. Felicita slowly backed away, her body still tense, ready to spring. Her opponent backed up, slowly picked up his sword, and left.

Felicita let out a slow breath as she let her body relax. Her partner sat down with his group in the snow. Felicita looked at them. They were tired, possibly too tired to be of any use to her now.

Felicita turned so that she was sideways to them and addressed the man she just fought with. "Hey." She said, getting his attention. He looked over at her. "What's your name?" she asked him.

He was panting slightly, so it took him a little while to answer. He took a breath "Klein."

"Well, Klein. Thanks for your help." She said as she began to walk away. _Guess I _will_ have to do this on my own._

"Wait!" Klein said abruptly. Felicita stopped in her tracks. After a pause, Klein continued. "Are you going after the revival item?" She didn't answer him. There was another pause. Then Klein asked. "And you're planning to get it by yourself?"

Felicita stood there, not looking at him. "Your point?" she asked in a cold voice.

He raised his voice slightly. "Don't do that! Don't risk your life on something that might not even exist!"

"What's it to you?" Felicita asked, her voice even. "We don't even know each other." Klein didn't say anything, so Felicita began to walk again.

"Wait." Klein said again. When Felicita didn't slow down, he said loudly. "Someone's already in there."

Felicita turned to look at him, curious. "Who?"

Klein hesitated, then said, "A solo player named Kirito."

Felicita was shocked. "Kirito-san?" she said in disbelief.

Klein stared at her. "Do you know him?" he asked.

Felicita nodded slightly and looked up at the giant fir tree where she knew that Nicholas the Renegade would appear. "Why would he be after the revival item?" she wondered aloud. "He's a solo player. What would he want to do with the revival item? He wouldn't go through all that just to sell it." Felicita thought a moment. Then she smirked to herself. "I guess, if it's him, he has a good reason."

She turned and began to walk the way she came. Klein watched her for a moment. She reminded him so much of Kirito. He was saddened by that thought. Both of them seemed so lonely all the time. That's partly what drove him to ask "Hey, girl. What's your name?"

Felicita was slightly confused. How did he know she was a girl? That's when she noticed that her hood had fallen down. Her face gave her away. It's not like her figure would. She was painfully aware of that fact. She stopped briefly and answered him. "Felicita." She said. Then she walked through the barrier around their little clearing.

As she walked, Felicita looked up at the sky. It was still snowing. It was so soft, peaceful, and just beautiful. The girl held out her hand and let some snow land on it. The snowflake stayed only for a moment before it melted on her palm. She smiled up at the sky. _Sorry. _Sadly, the girl walked on and into the darkness of the night.

**A/N: There it is. What'd you guys think? Please follow, favorite, and review. By the way, I am a little sad. No one has left any reviews on my last chapter! I want to know if I broke your puny little hearts. That way I will have something to maniacally laugh at. So yeah, please give me your thoughts!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Shadow Thief

Chapter 10: The Shadow Thief

**A/N: Hello! So here's my next chapter. Be happy, it's not as depressing as some of my other chapters. And let me just say, that my chapter numbers are finally in the double digits! Yay! Enjoy!**

2024/02/23

Lisbeth, a girl with short pink hair wearing a blacksmithing apron, sat under a tree on Floor 32. She glanced down the street one way then the other. She groaned as she sat back down in her chair. _Today's a slow day._ People walked up and down the street, but barely anyone stopped by her booth. She was starting to feel like she wouldn't make it much longer as a blacksmith. That was probably because most famous and well accomplished blacksmiths actually had their own shops on higher floors at this point in the game.

_Well I would too if those crooks hadn't stolen from me last week._ Lisbeth was still bitter on that subject. She could not believe that she had let them get away with some of her materials and over half of the money she had saved up to buy her own shop. Now she had to start over.

Lisbeth was just thinking about packing up her booth and calling it an early day when she heard a voice speak to her. "Hey." It said.

She looked up. Standing in front of her was not a very impressive looking person. They were small and it didn't look like they had a very impressive inventory. It was the middle of the first warm day of the season, yet this person had a dark gray cloak around them, the hood up to conceal their face. Up close though, Lisbeth could see the face under the hood. It was a young girl and, if she had to guess, this girl was younger than her.

Lisbeth studied her for a while before answering. "Hi."

"You're a blacksmith right?" the soft voice asked. Lisbeth nodded. The girl in gray leaned forward onto the edge of the booth with her elbow. "Do you think you have anything that could boost my inventory?"

Lisbeth looked at her suspiciously. Well she _was_ a blacksmith. "Yeah. Sure." She said in a delightful voice. She wasn't sure about this shady girl but she was very desperate for business at the moment. "Let me see what you have."

The girl hesitated before taking off her armor, leaving the clothes she had on underneath, and putting it on the booth in front of her. She felt strangely naked, standing there without her armor on. She guessed it was because she never went anywhere without it.

Lisbeth glanced at the girl in front of her. She was standing there in a pair of black pants and a short sleeved gray shirt, rubbing her arms as if she was cold.

The blacksmith looked down at the armor in front of her. It looked like a normal cloak, metal chest plate, mail shirt, and black, fingerless gloves. But after studying it for a while, something intrigued her. The design on them was intricate. Lines of silver elegantly looped around on the fabric and on the metal. Normal armor would not have something like that.

Using her appraisal skill, Lisbeth identified the armor. She was surprised at what she found: most of it was dark themed. There was the cloak of shadow, gloves of starlight, and a dark chest plate. This type of armor was rare and high in quality. It was light yet very durable.

The pink haired girl looked up at the girl in front of her. "This stuff is rare! Where did you get it?"

The girl in front of the booth avoided the blacksmith's gaze. She shuffled her feet as she answered. "In a dungeon on Floor 51."

Lisbeth's mouth hung open. _This girl went through a dungeon on that high level of a dungeon and survived? She must be tougher than she looks._

"Well that's impressive. Can I see your weapons next?" Lisbeth inquired. The girl in gray nodded and handed over the knives she had strapped to her thighs (which Lisbeth had just noticed) and a one-handed short sword from her inventory.

Lisbeth used her appraisal skill again. The knives were silver knives. They appeared to be similar, but one had a yellow jewel on the hilt and the other had a red one. They were both powerful. The one with the yellow stone was poisoned and had a paralyzing effect while the other one had a burn effect. Along with that, both dealt a significant amount of damage. The sword, however, did not affect the status of a player. It was just very light but very durable.

"Did you get all this stuff in that dungeon?" Lisbeth asked incredulously. The girl in front of her nodded once. The blacksmith sighed. "Well I'm sorry. I don't have anything that can help you at the moment. If you had come last week I could have done something, but . . ." She trailed off, unsure of what to add.

"Why can't you do anything now?" the other girl asked, pulling on her gloves.

Lisbeth sighed and began putting things back into her inventory, deciding to pack up for the day. "Some thieves stole from me last week and took most of my money and quality materials. Now I don't have that much to offer in my services. I don't think I can stay open for much longer."

It was silent for a moment. Lisbeth continued to pack and her mysterious customer put on her mail shirt and chest plate on thoughtfully. "I could help you get it back."

Lisbeth looked up at the girl. Not sure she heard right. "What?"

The girl fastened her cloak around her shoulders and looked at Lisbeth. "I can get it back for you." She repeated.

Lisbeth stared at her for a moment. Then she stood up straight and waved her hands in front of her. "No, no, no! Bad idea!"

The girl cocked her head as she put her sword back into her inventory. "Why?"

"I did some digging and I found out that the thieves who stole from me are in a well-known criminal guild." Lisbeth said seriously.

The girl just looked at her. "So?"

Lisbeth waved her arms in the air. "It would be dangerous to mess with them!"

She slid her knives into her holsters. "It shouldn't be a problem for me. I'll get your stuff and meet you here later at sunset. What guild were they in?"

The blacksmith walked around her booth and looked at the girl before her. "Wait! You can't go by yourself!"

"Well you can't go with me. You'd just slow me down."

"I'll have you know I'm an expert mace user! I'm going with you. Besides, you won't be able to tell what the thieves looked like without me." The girl had her hands on her hips looking to the side. Lisbeth smirked when she knew she had her.

"Fine." The girl said begrudgingly.

Lisbeth smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Lisbeth. I guess we'll be in a party together for a while."

The girl glanced at her hand, then slumped and took it. "I'm Felicita." She introduced herself.

* * *

Later that day, the two girls were walking in the forest on Floor 35.

"What are we doing here again?" Lisbeth asked.

Felicita barely glanced up from the map that she had pulled up in front of her to answer. "I heard that the guild you told me about was hiding out in this forest. You did say the Cercopes Guild right?"

"Yeah." Lisbeth answered. She looked around and thought about how she would never have thought that a guild like that would decide to hide in a forest like this. Then she glanced at her new party member, Felicita. She was satisfied that she had been able to convince her to keep her hood down while they went looking for the Cercopes Guild. She said that she would have felt awkward walking around with her like that, so she hesitantly complied and left it down. Lisbeth thought that Felicita would have been cute if she weren't so distant and intimidating.

Then Lisbeth asked a question that had been nagging at her for a while. "Hey, Felicita-san. Why did you go to me and not one of the other, well-known blacksmiths? They could have gotten you a better deal."

"I don't have the money to spend." Was her terse answer.

"Oh." Was all Lisbeth could think to say. They walked in silence for a while before she asked another question. "Did you tell who you were traveling with that you would be doing this before you came out here? They might be worried."

Felicita continued to look forward as she replied. "I'm solo."

Lisbeth blinked in surprise. "Really?" Felicita nodded. Lisbeth didn't know what to think. This girl seemed really lonely. They walked in silence until Felicita froze. Lisbeth was about to ask her what was wrong until she was pulled aside into the shrubbery nearby. "Wha-?" she began, but Felicita covered her mouth.

The girl in gray looked up, her body still. She seemed to be listening for something. Then she uncovered Lisbeth's mouth and pulled her hood over her head. "That guild is nearby. Stay here." She whispered.

"Wait, why?" Lisbeth whispered frantically.

"No offense but you'd just get in my way."

"But I came with you to help didn't I?"

Felicita hesitated before sighing in defeat and pointed over a bush. "Is that them?"

Lisbeth looked at her, then slowly looked over the top of the bush. "Yeah."

Felicita nodded. "That's all I needed." She said before almost slinking away into the darkness.

"Wait, I'm coming!" Lisbeth whispered loudly, starting to follow Felicita.

Felicita whirled around and glared at Lisbeth. "No you're not! You're staying right here!" she whispered harshly. This surprised Lisbeth and she froze where she crouched. Felicita sighed and put her hand on Lisbeth's shoulder. "You'll be safer if you stay here and that would put my mind at ease." Then she surprised Lisbeth further by smiling at her. Lisbeth was shocked. That was the first time that Felicita had smiled at her and it made her seem . . . kind.

"I'll be right back." Felicita reassured before she disappeared. Lisbeth sat there only for a moment before she began to follow Felicita. She didn't intend to be seen, she just wanted to watch what Felicita would do. The blacksmith crept along until she reached to spot where the thieves were. She stayed hidden in the nearby bushes and surveyed the area.

The thieves were a group of five guys. They all wore dark clothing and they didn't look very clean. They were talking about something, but Lisbeth wasn't really paying attention. She was too busy looking around for Felicita. _Where is she? I don't see her anywhere._

That was when a movement in the trees above the bandits caught her eye. She looked up and was surprised to see Felicita crawling on her belly along a tree branch. _What is she doing?_ Then Lisbeth understood. Felicita was going to try and steal it from them. There were too many to fight so stealing it may be best. They were red players anyway so technically if you committed a crime against them you wouldn't be considered a criminal. But Lisbeth was confused. How did Felicita plan to do this in broad daylight?

Lisbeth craned her neck, trying to watch as Felicita continued to creep along. Then, she saw the girl take a rock that she had in her hand and throw it from her perch in the tree to the bushes down below.

All of the bandits looked in the direction of the sound. "What was that?" One of them asked.

They stared in the direction for a while before another said, "It was probably nothing." By this time though, Felicita had already pickpocketed two of them, a smirk on her face.

Lisbeth cheered silently as she moved around to get a better view. That was when she stepped on a twig. Her heart began to race when she heard the sound. Felicita froze and looked in the direction of the sound. Unfortunately, so had the highwaymen and they all realized it was a girl in the bushes.

"Look what we have here." One of the bandits said as he picked Lisbeth up by the hair. She grunted in pain as she was lifted off of the ground. But before the thief could do or say anything else, he yelled in pain and dropped Lisbeth as Felicita came down with a slash of her blades.

"Felicita-san." Lisbeth said.

Felicita glanced back at her quickly, making sure she was ok, before turning back to the bandits, fury in her eyes.

The bandit she had cut held his now burned arm and glared at her. "Who the hell are you?" he asked angrily. Felicita remained silent, glaring at them all. "You won't answer? Fine. We'll just kill you." He said, pulling out a spear.

He charged Felicita with a growl. Then before he knew it, his spear was snapped in half like a twig and he was stabbed in the arm and he fell paralyzed. She had sidestepped his weapon and slashed her knife upward, snapping it. Then, she was gone. Everyone looked around, on high alert as the rest of the thieves drew their weapons and Lisbeth sat on the ground, her eyes wide.

Then Felicita appeared behind one of the other thieves. She knocked his feet out from under him and slashed him with her paralyzing blade. He fell and Felicita disappeared again before the others could blink. They stared, dumbfounded at the felled thief. Then Felicita dropped from an overhanging branch and knocked the knife out of another thief's hands before stabbing him with her poisoned knife and slashing the one who had raised a sword at her with her other knife. He stumbled away, but not very far before he was paralyzed as well.

Now there was only one enemy left. Felicita stared at him, daring him to attack. He stared at her eyes narrowed. "A girl dressed in darkness." He said. "Two knives as her weapons. A skilled fighter who comes in the night and disappears without a trace. I know who you are now. You're the Shadow Thief!" he said the last sentence with a growl.

Felicita looked at him, her eyes narrowed. "Yes. I am." Then she disappeared and reappeared behind him. He fell forward as she stuck her knife into his back. "Feel honored that I decided to waste my skills on you." She said.

Lisbeth watched in shock as Felicita pickpocketed the rest of the bandits. She came toward Lisbeth and tried to push her back into the forest.

"Feli-?" Lisbeth began.

"Not here!" Felicita hissed as she dragged Lisbeth through the trees.

* * *

"Felicita-san, you're a thief?" Lisbeth asked. Felicita seemed to ignore her as she scrolled through her menu, picking out the things she took from the bandits and sending them to the blacksmith. Lisbeth ignored the pop-up asking her if she would accept the items she was being sent. "Not just any thief, but the _Shadow Thief?"_ she continued, starting to panic having realized she was helping a _famous_ wanted criminal.

Felicita glanced at her. "Yeah. I think that was made very clear a few minutes ago."

Lisbeth glanced above Felicita's head. "Then why is your indicator green?" she asked.

Felicita sighed. "I wait a few days for my indicator to turn green again before going into town."

Lisbeth froze. That meant that Felicita was a red player. Lisbeth usually associated red players with murder guilds. Did that mean that Felicita . . .

"Felicita-san?" Lisbeth asked, slowly backing away. "Do you kill other players?"

Felicita's eyes became wide and she quickly grabbed Lisbeth by the shoulders. "I don't kill people." She said in an urgent tone. "I just steal from them. Nobody dies when I steal from them." She said as if she desperately wanted to get that thought across.

Lisbeth looked at her warily. "Then why did you decide to become a thief?" Felicita's arm dropped and she stepped a few paces away. "You are a skilled fighter. You could join the front lines."

Felicita laughed humorlessly. "That's rich." She said. Then she turned so that she wasn't looking at Lisbeth but Lisbeth could still see her face. "I'm not like you, Lisbeth-san. I don't have a skillset that can help others."

Lisbeth was about to argue that point when she noticed the look on Felicita's face. She was smiling, but her expression still seemed melancholy. Lisbeth began to wonder if Felicita wasn't just talking about the skills in SAO.

The pink-haired blacksmith was about to say something when a voice called out to them.

"Hello over there!" Lisbeth and Felicita whirled around. A young girl with pigtails and what looked like a blue lizard on her shoulder was waving at them. Behind her was a tall woman with red hair and a few other men. _Who is that?_

Lisbeth was about to ask Felicita if she knew when she saw the look on her face. Felicita had gone pale and her body had become rigid.

Felicita stared at the girl. She recognized that girl, how could she not? She pretty much looked to same, the only slight difference was her hair color. It was a more natural shade of brown now. The girl was Silica.

Silica walked up to them. "Are you lost?" She asked. She had a smile on her face until she saw under the hood of Felicita's cloak. "Felicita-san?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Felicita stood there, for a long moment. Her heart seemed to stop beating. Then, she ducked her head, hiding her face in the darkness under her hood, and she began to walk briskly away. Silica took a step forward, as if she wanted to follow her, but seemed to think better of it and stay put. Lisbeth was confused. She looked from Silica to Felicita for a moment before she ran to catch up with Felicita.

"Hey." She said as she finally drew up to Felicita matching her strides. "Do you know that girl?"

"Are you going to upgrade my inventory or not?" she asked, her voice shaking, avoiding the subject.

Lisbeth paused. For some reason this girl was affecting her. She was so sad. She wanted to help her. The blacksmith took a breath before continuing. "Yes. I have enough materials to upgrade your equipment. I'll even do it for free, but on one condition."

"What's that?" Felicita asked as she glanced at Lisbeth.

"That from this point on, I become your exclusive blacksmith."

Felicita stopped in her tracks and looked at Lisbeth incredulously. "You want to be the infamous Shadow Thief's exclusive blacksmith?"

Lisbeth nodded. "You come to me for all your equipment needs and I'll give you the best deals you will ever be offered."

Felicita looked at her suspiciously. "Why would you do that? How do I know that you won't just turn me in?"

"Well, because I think you're a good person." Lisbeth replied, looking at the ground. "I mean, you're a thief and all, but I won't turn you in. You still helped me get my stuff back so this is the least I can do to repay you." She said before looking up. "Just know that if you steal from me, it's off." She said this last part sternly.

Felicita looked at her. It didn't seem like she'd say anything at first. Then she laughed and held out her hand. "Alright, Lisbeth-san. You have yourself a deal." Lisbeth smiled and took her new client's hand and they shook on it.

**A/N: There. What did you guys think? Please review, follow, etc. if you haven't done so already. You would make me so happy if you did and, just so you know, my happiness makes the world go round so making me happy is advised. Also, if any of you out there are interested I now have a story up based on Ouran High School Host Club so please check that out. Don't worry about updates though. I will try to balance it out between that story and this one. Have a nice day and see you next update . . . I hope . . . if anyone is still reading this.**


	11. Chapter 11: A Tempting Offer?

Chapter 11: A Tempting Offer?

**A/N: Ok, here's chapter 11. This definitely took longer than I thought it would to write, but I have been planning it for a while so I wanted it to be perfect. Things are about to pick up so enjoy!**

2024/04/03

Felicita was woken up by a ringing sound. She groaned softly as she opened one eye, letting her see the flashing, orange message alert responsible for her interrupted nap. She sighed as she sat up on her tree branch, slightly annoyed. She was just in the middle of an extremely enjoyable nap and she did not like being so rudely awakened. That was all she was doing nowadays anyway, either sleeping, eating, or stealing. Of course, she did all of these things in places where no one would find her, which explains why she was in a tree.

The thief decided that she may as well read the damn thing since she was already awake. She tapped the icon and looked the message over. What she read made her heart sink.

_Hey! Great news, I finally got the shop! Get over here and check it out. It's really awesome!_

_-Lisbeth _

Felicita closed the message and sat back against the tree. She was not looking forward to what she had to do next.

* * *

A little while later, Felicita had teleported to Floor 48, the place Lisbeth had decided to set up shop. The Shadow Thief kept her hood up as she walked. Her indicator was green today, but she still didn't want to risk people seeing her face. She walked along the streets and through the crowds until she finally reached a building with a sign over the door that said "Lisbeth's Smith Shop."

She paused at the entrance, staring up at the sign. She did not want to go inside. She didn't want to have to do what she was about to. Eventually she sighed and pushed the door open, deciding that it had to be done.

A bell rang as the door swung inward. Felicita had barely stepped inside when a cheerful voice greeted "Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop!"

Felicita took her hood down and looked up. Lisbeth was standing before her, a large smile on her face and her hands on her hips. "You finally made it!" she said.

"Yeah." Felicita answered.

"Well take a look around. What do you think?"

Felicita did as she was told. It wasn't a bad looking shop. A variety of weapons was displayed in the room. Some were hanging from the walls while others were safely shown in display cases. "It's nice. Uh, Lisbeth-."

"Just wait until you see the back. I have everything I need back there to make all kinds of things!" Lisbeth was already walking through a door by a counter in the back.

Felicita sighed and followed her. She walked through the door and was greeted by a bunch of blacksmithing equipment that she couldn't name. She was slightly impressed by it.

"See? With all this stuff I can upgrade your equipment even more." Lisbeth said excitedly as she grandly gestured around the room.

"Lisbeth-."

"And I can make a bigger profit with what I can do now."

"Lisbeth!"

Lisbeth stopped and looked at Felicita. "Yeah?"

Felicita couldn't look at her, so she looked down at the ground. "This is great and all, and I'm really happy for you, but I won't be coming to see you anymore."

Lisbeth froze and looked at the thief in front of her. "What? Why?"

The smaller girl continued to look at the ground, thinking about what she had to say. Finally, she took a breath and looked the pink-haired blacksmith in the eye. "When we first met, and you asked me why I came to you and not another blacksmith, I didn't tell you the whole reason." Lisbeth didn't say anything, so she continued. "I didn't have a lot of money, but also, I couldn't risk going to see a well-known blacksmith because it would have been more likely for me to be caught. It was safe to see someone like you because it was less likely that you would interact with the big guilds like the Knights of the Blood Oath. And now that you have your own shop . . ." Felicita trailed off.

"It's a sign that I'm like those famous blacksmiths, huh?" Lisbeth finished.

Felicita nodded. "Also, I've recently seen the second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath visit you."

"You saw?" Lisbeth asked. Honestly, she had a feeling that the thief would do something like this so she tried to keep the fact that Asuna the Lightning Flash was seeing her regularly a secret.

"Yeah. If anyone knew you were helping me, you'd be in trouble." The girl in gray said as she glanced at the ground and subconsciously fingered one of her knives. "This is goodbye, Lisbeth." Then Felicita turned and began to walk toward the exit.

Lisbeth stood there, not sure what to do. Felicita had only come to see her about four times since they had first met. Lisbeth was not ready to let her go yet. She still wanted to help her. The only problem was the girl wouldn't open up to her.

"Wait!" Lisbeth yelled, running through the door and into the main part of her shop. Felicita was already halfway through the door, her hood up. She stopped on her way out and looked at her former blacksmith expectantly. Lisbeth wanted to call her back and convince her to come back again sometime. But looking at her, Lisbeth could tell that, no matter what she said, Felicita would leave and never come back. The blacksmith couldn't bring herself to say what she was going to a moment ago, so instead she stood straight, her hands by her sides and said something else. "If . . . if you really are leaving. Then be safe, promise me. Promise that you will survive . . . until the end."

Felicita looked at Lisbeth for a moment. She considered promising. But she was an infamous thief after all. Her chances at survival were slim. So Felicita smiled, a fake smile that she hoped Lisbeth would think was real.

As Felicita left, Lisbeth couldn't help but feel saddened at the deadness in Felicita's eyes and the smile she knew was fake that was plastered onto her face.

Felicita paused right outside the door. Then made her way to the square where she could teleport to another floor. She couldn't help but feel a small amount of regret over what she had done. In truth, she had liked Lisbeth. She was cheery all the time, which caused a small smile to appear on the thief's face whenever Lisbeth wasn't looking. It had also been nice to actually have a connection to another human being without having to say that the connection had been she was another victim that she had stolen from at one point.

Felicita arrived at a different floor's teleportation gate. She wasn't sure what floor it was, she hadn't really been paying attention when she had said the name of the place she chose to go. Felicita sighed. It didn't really matter anyway, she just wanted to take a nap.

She wandered through the town, avoiding other people's gazes until she reached the edge of the safe zone. Then she continued into the surrounding woods. When she thought she was a good distance in, she looked around for a suitable tree to rest in. She spotted a good one with lots of high branches for cover. Setting her eyes on a particularly stable looking branch, Felicita took a few steps back. Then, she took a running start and jumped. It was a good jump, it got her to the lowest branch, which was very far off of the ground. She grabbed the branch with both hands and swung up, allowing her to land in a crouch on the branch that she had had her eye on earlier.

There was still daylight out, but with the dense foliage, the light was greatly subdued. The Shadow Thief took out a spare cloak that she had in her inventory, balled it up, and put it behind her head as she sat against the trunk of the tree. She closed her eyes, wanting to shut everything out. Felicta liked sleeping. It kept her from thinking, especially about reality. As long as she wasn't having a nightmare, Felicita was at her happiest in her sleep. She could dream, or think nothing at all, at least it would momentarily release her from the nightmare of Sword Art Online. The thief sighed and, eventually, she fell asleep.

* * *

Felicita's eyes flew open. In a flash, her knives were in her hands as she crouched into a ready position on her branch. Her eyes darted around at the silent darkness around her. The sun was setting, so not much light could get through the leaves around her. Felicita wasn't sure what had woken her up, but she had sensed something as if something was watching her.

Felicita quickly put her spare cloak into her inventory and continued to look around her. Her body was tense and her heart and mind were racing. She couldn't help but feel like the scared little girl she had been when she was in the Timber Wolves guild.

Eternity seemed to drag by as Felicita crouched there, waiting. She was considering pulling out one of her teleportation crystals when a knife flew past her cheek and embedded itself into the bark on the trunk of the tree. That was when Felicita sprung out of her hiding place. She had to move.

She jumped from her perch and headed toward the ground below her. As she was about to crash, she positioned her body so that her shoulder hit first and she rolled. She didn't wait for the roll to stop, she just used the momentum to allow herself to run faster. She ran swiftly and silently through the woods, just as she always did when making off with a good steal, only this time she was running for her life.

As Felicita came across a clearing, she thought she was home free. Then she quickly realized she was wrong as figures appeared from the surrounding trees, closing her in. She was forced to stop and watch, ready to defend herself, as the figures came closer to her, threatening weapons in hand. They were all wearing cloaks like hers, only theirs were frayed at the bottom.

Theirs hoods were up, but despite that, Felicita expected to see some of their faces with the little light they had. She tried glancing under their hoods, but realized that they all had masks on.

"Well, hello there, Shadow Thief." Felicita looked up, toward the low, cold voice that addressed her. _How do they know who I am? _A single figure, stepped forward, away from the rest. She could tell he was male by his figure. "It's so nice to see you." The voice said. "We were just looking for you."

The voice made her shiver, but she tried to hide that as she said, coldly. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" she held her knives up, ready to attack, even though she knew it would be pointless to try. There were so many of them.

The figure chuckled. He was the only one not threatening her with a weapon. Wordlessly, he put his fist up, showing her the back of his hand. As her eyes focused on his glove, blood froze. The symbol of the murder guild, Laughing Coffin, was stitched into the fabric.

"You want to kill me." Felicita said. Her heart seemed to race as she watched him.

The man put his hand down and continued to speak. "No. Not exactly." He began to walk slowly and casually around her. "We've been watching you for a while, Shadow Thief, and we've noticed that you have some . . . talents that we find interesting." He circled her, his hands behind his back.

She watched him, cautiously, while also keeping in mind the other Laughing Coffin members. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Well isn't that obvious?" the man asked, putting his hands out, as if to ask her, before putting them back behind his back. "We want to recruit you." Felicita didn't know how to react to that. _A murder guild wants to recruit me? _"You must be wondering 'why should I join Laughing Coffin?'" The man continued. "Well, why don't you think of it this way? Essentially, you are a red player, correct? This makes you like us." He said, gesturing to his guild mates. "You don't belong anywhere except with your own kind." By his tone, Felicita could tell that he was smiling. "With us, you will have protection and you won't be alone, fending for yourself. You'll have a home, with people who won't judge you. Doesn't that sound nice?" he asked her. Felicita had been so focused on his words that she hadn't noticed that he was close enough to touch her. She shivered as he was now behind her whispering into her ear. "Well?" she didn't say anything. She was frozen in place, too afraid to move. "Hm." He said, stepping slightly away from her. "I know that you have been given a lot to think about, so we will come back for your answer. We sincerely hope that you will join us." The figure stepped farther away from her and gave a signal to his comrades. They put their weapons down. "Come into this clearing again when you have your answer." He said. Then he began to walk away. The others followed him, though one seemed to linger for only a moment before doing the same.

When they were gone, Felicita couldn't support herself any longer. Her knees gave out and she fell onto them, making herself sit on her calves. She had been so afraid and now she was afraid and pissed that she was so afraid. She had tried so hard to rid herself of that annoying emotion called fear, but it kept coming back.

The girl hugged herself as she felt herself shaking. She thought for sure that she was going to die. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. When her heart rate finally slowed, Felicita stood up. Her legs were still slightly shaky, but she knew she wouldn't fall again. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't get what just happened out of her head. Was it really true, did she only belong with criminals and murderers now?

Felicita shook her head, she didn't want to think about it right now, her head was still swimming and she couldn't focus. She tried to think of what to do. She considered sleeping, but she doubted that she would calm down enough to fall asleep. Then she decided she might as well steal something. She was always focused when she was in the middle of stealing from people. She was always calm and collected. Maybe in that state she could sort things out.

Then, when it occurred to her that that was what Laughing Coffin wanted from her, she smiled sadly to herself. She pulled up her map and took note that she was on Floor 31 and to avoid this place at all costs. Then she decided to walk into town and go to another floor to do her stealing. Felicita did her best to keep her mind blank as she walked into town. Before she knew it, she had reached the teleportation platform she had arrived on earlier. She only half paid attention to the place she said to go. It was somewhere on Floor 54.

Felicita appeared in the square of a town. Not many people were out and about. Of course, that was to be expected, the moon was up. The thief decided to go look for a victim in the forest. She didn't trust herself to steal from someone in town right now, she might screw up and get caught in the mental state she was in. Of course, she might get caught in the forest too, but there, she was less likely to run into someone who could overpower her and turn her in.

The Shadow Thief walked to the edge of town and into the trees beyond. When she was deep enough in, she activated her stealth skill. She had a great deal of pride in this skill, for she had almost maxed it out. She crept along, always keeping herself hidden among the shadows. She didn't care if she ran into a player or an NPC, there was almost always one or the other in the forest whenever she went "hunting."

Eventually, she sensed someone among the trees. She crept along until she was hiding behind a tree behind the person. She peeked around the trunk to look at her target. Felicita was pretty sure it was a male. He was wearing a dark coat and was sitting on a log by a lantern. From what she saw, it didn't look like he had much on him, of course, neither did she and that was deceiving.

Felicita smiled, it looked like she would have it easy. She began to devise a plan on how best to pickpocket him without him noticing. She had barely finalized her plan when she heard a voice. "Who's there?"

The thief tensed. The voice had come from behind her, where the boy had been sitting. Shock was all she felt for a moment. How could he have detected her with her level of stealth? He must have had a really high detection skill.

Felicita could sense that he was moving in her direction, so she quietly jumped into the branches of her tree. She hid among the foliage and looked down. She saw a glimpse of movement in the spot she had just been in. "I know you're still here. Come out." She most certainly would not! Not after what she had just been through. As the boy walked away, Felicita decided that she should just go find a victim somewhere else, this boy was obviously not going to be easy.

She was about to pull out a teleportation crystal when something heavy knocked her down. It fell with her as they plummeted out of the tree. Felicita closed her eyes as they hit the ground, but didn't stop there. They rolled several feet before they came to a stop. What had knocked her down had turned out to be a person, the boy. He was now pinning her down, holding a cold sword tip to Felicita's throat. With her eyes still closed, Felicita waited for the boy to strike her. The strike never came.

"Felicita-san?"

How did her know her name. Felicita opened her eyes and looked up. "Kirito-san?" she asked in a confused tone.

**A/N: *gasp* Kirito's back and Laughing Coffin wants to recruit our favorite thief! How will this turn out? Find out next time! While you're waiting, please favorite, review, and follow. Tell me how I did on conveying emotion in this chapter because I'm a little worried. A review containing your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Like I said, things will be picking up so look forward to the next few chapters.**


	12. Chapter 12: Confrontation

Chapter 12: Confrontation

**A/N: Ugh! This chapter is finally finished. Yay! I'm a little nervous about it though. I've had the majority of this chapter in my head since the beginning. I hope I did alright. Anyway, please read and keep an open mind too. Try to be understanding.**

Kirito and Felicita stared at each other in surprise for a long moment. Then, when Felicita was starting to feel uncomfortable, she cleared her throat. Kirito blinked. Then his eyes widened when he realized that they were on the ground and he was on top of her. "Sorry!" he said quickly, getting up. He sheathed his sword and quickly dusted himself off before offering a hand to Felicita. The girl hesitated before taking it. He pulled her up and they stood there for a few seconds, not looking at each other.

Kirito looked at the ground before quickly glancing at the girl beside him. Something was . . . different. Could this really be the girl that had assured him that she liked him knowing that he was a "beater?"

"Sorry, again." Kirito said, awkwardly. "For that" he said, referring to what just happened "and for attacking you. I didn't know it was you."

Felicita seemed to hesitate before offering him a small smile. "It's not entirely your fault. I guess I'd be suspicious too if a dark figure snuck up behind me."

Kirito chuckled softly. "So, do you want to sit with me?" He asked, gesturing to the place where his lantern still sat.

Felicita hesitated again. "Sure." They went over and sat down, each on their own log. The two sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"So," Kirito began slowly. "What are you doing out here?"

Felicita didn't want to tell him that she had planned to steal from him so she told him a half-truth. "Oh, I couldn't sleep so I decided to just come out here. What about you?"

"I was out here planning on earning some exp." Kirito said with a shrug. "So how have you been? How are the Timber Wolves?"

Felicita felt like that last question had punched her in the gut. _Kirito doesn't know. _Now that she thought about it, _she_ didn't her cloak, Felicita tightly grasped one of her knives, not in preparation to fight but just in an attempt to keep herself together. "I'm doing well." Felicita answered, trying not to say it through her teeth. "As for the Timber Wolves . . ."

"What?" Kirito asked after a pause. He knew that it was weird that she had shown up alone.

Felicita couldn't bring herself to tell him so she said "We haven't exactly . . . talked . . . in a while." _Well at least that wasn't a lie._

Kirito looked at her for a moment. Something didn't seem right. Was she in a fight with her guild right now? Had something happened?

Felicita wanted to quickly change the subject. "So what about you, Kirito-san? How have you been?"

Kirito didn't want to let his suspicion go, but he smiled and answered. "Not bad, actually."

". . . Are you still solo?"

Kirito laughed nervously. "For the most part."

Felicita cocked her head quizzically. "For the most part?"

"Yeah. A certain friend of mine hasn't been leaving me alone recently." Felicita just looked at him, as if prompting him to continue. Kirito sighed. "Well, last month, she and I solved a mystery of murders in a safe zone. Ever since then, she's been nagging me to make friends and stop playing solo."

Felicita smiled. "Hm. Well she seems like a nice friend." She thought for a moment before continuing. "And it sounds like you've been busy, 'murders in a safe zone?'" She had heard a rumor about that. Of course she had, she was a criminal, but she hadn't believed it until now.

Kirito stood up and stretched. "Yeah, that's a long story. Anyway, about gaining some exp.," he glanced over at the girl next to him as he asked. "Do you want to come?" Normally, he would have done things like this on his own, but he really wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened with the Timber Wolves guild.

Felicita was surprised at his offer. She was so surprised, that she agreed to come before she knew what she was saying. "Sure, but only if you tell me all about your little murder mystery."

* * *

The two solo players ended up talking and fighting monsters together that night. They didn't talk about anything personal, Kirito felt that if they went there now, Felicita might run away. She was already a little awkward in this situation as it was.

The girl in question felt weird, roaming the forest with a guy she barely knew. She wasn't used to this sort of thing, but it seemed like he was and that relaxed her, if only slightly.

"So, they used teleport crystals to disappear and used up their armors' durability to make it look like they had died?" Felicita asked, wanting to clarify.

"Yep." Said the swordsman beside her.

"That's genius." Felicita said, marveling. "And that Grimlock guy . . ."

"Manipulated the whole thing to cover up what he had done." Kirito finished for her.

They were silent for a moment. "So, what happened to him?" the girl asked.

Kirito shrugged. "Don't know, but I'm sure he's not dead. He's probably just in one of the major guild's prisons."

"Oh." They walked for a while, not saying anything.

"You hear that?" Kirito whispered. Felicita stopped and listened. She nodded when she could make out a rustling sound. The two of them crept toward a pair of trees and hid behind them. The swordsman peeked around his tree, then looked at his companion and held up one finger, saying that there was only one enemy. He pointed to himself, asking if he could attack first. Felicita nodded. This had become their system, even though they never openly discussed what their system would be.

Kirito drew his sword and Felicita took out her knives. They came out from behind their trees to face what looked like a Minotaur. It was facing away from them until they stepped out. When it noticed them, its eyes glowed red and it bellowed. The monster and Kirito charged each other at the same time. The bull man swept its horns down to hit Kirito, but the swordsman was quick to dodge. He sidestepped and slashed upward, cutting the Minotaur across the chest. It reared as Kirito dashed back, leaving room for Felicita to switch with him. She did so and rushed the monster. By then it had recovered and charged at her. She ducked its arm's downward swing and just as it seemed like the bull man would run her over, she straightened and slashed upward, knocking it over backward. In a finishing move, she jumped high and stuck both knives into the monster's chest, causing it to shatter.

Kirito watched, impressed with Felicita's skills. She was really good, though, he wasn't surprised at all. He had seen her potential in the jungle when they first met.

Felicita ignored the item drop window that popped up and sheathed her knives. Kirito did the same with his sword and clapped. "Bravo." He said. Felicita looked at him as he walked over. "Well, I think that's enough for one night. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"Uh . . ." Felicita could only make that sound. Of course she didn't.

Kirito smiled. "Well, I do have a place, but I think I'll just stay at an inn nearby. I don't feel like traveling. You should too."

Felicita thought about it. She didn't want to, someone might recognize her clothes in town and they'd turn her in. But then again, she didn't want to sleep by herself in a tree outside of the safe zone. She was still scared that Laughing Coffin might show up. She sighed mentally, not seeing any other option. "Sure, that sounds good." She said.

* * *

Felicita followed Kirito into town and they ended up staying at the same inn. It was the only one with available rooms so they couldn't afford to be picky.

The Shadow Thief was now sitting in her room on her bed. Since she was staying in a safe zone for the first time in a while, she decided to store her armor and her knives in her storage and just sit on her bed in normal clothing. She laid back on it, marveling at how soft and comfortable it was. When was the last time that she had slept in a bed?

She heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me." She heard Kirito's voice. She went over and opened the door. He had stored his coat and sword away too and was in dark clothing similar to hers. "Do you mind if I come in?" he asked. "I thought you might be hungry so I got some food."

Felicita was surprised. "Uh, sure." She said, stepping aside to let him in. "But you didn't have to get me dinner. Do you want me to pay you back?"

Kirito shook his head as he opened his menu and selected some things, making them appear in his hand so he could put them down on the wooden table in the center of the room. "No. You don't have to pay me. Just think of this as a meal between friends."

The girl stood there for a few moments before shrugging and sitting down at the table across from where Kirito now sat. At first, they ate in silence. Felicita just looked at her food while she ate and Kirito stared out the window, his legs crossed and one arm over the back of his chair. Eventually he sat normally and looked across the table at Felicita.

"So tell me," He said, "what did you guys do after I left that day?"

Felicita froze, then put her food down. Not looking up at him, she answered. "Well, Seiji joined us, just like we planned. Then we got back and my sister almost killed us before she broke down."

Kirito nodded like he understood. "What about after that?"

Felicita fingered her shirt under the table. "Not much happened." She lied. "We just continued to fight so we could level up and get col. Eventually, we got enough money to buy our own house. We even went on a vacation soon after that."

"Hm." Kirito made that noise as he thought. From what she said, things sounded good with the Timber Wolves. But obviously something was not right. This girl was hiding something from him. Why was Felicita away from her guild now? There had to be a good reason. She had seemed so close with her guild when he had left. "Where are they now?" He finally asked. "Why aren't you with them? Are you just having a disagreement?"

The girl looked at the floor. "You could say that."

Kirito sat forward. "Well what are you doing here? You should try to make up with them."

Felicita continued to look away from him. "It's not that simple."

Kirito stood up, making his chair scoot noisily backward. "How is it not simple?" he asked. "You guys are close right? You care for each other. If you don't come clean with them you will probably regret it. Think about your sister."

"I can't talk to her." _Literally._

"Well then what about Ryner-san? I thought you liked him."

"It's too late for that now."

"No it's not. Think about Seiji, Riku-san. I could tell that you all were good friends, or at least would be." He had now come around the table, trying to make Felicita look at him. She was being too evasive. "Don't throw that away."

Felicia had tried to block him out, she wanted him to stop, to shut up, his words were bringing about memories of people that she had tried to forget for so long. The memories hurt, like a knife in her chest, and with each word that Kirito said, he was twisting the knife, driving it deeper and deeper . . .

Felicita abruptly stood up, her mental state shattered. Kirito looked into her face. It was blank, no emotion was displayed at all. It seemed as if no one was inside of her, she was hollow.

"Please stop talking." She said softly, in a flat tone. Kirito couldn't help but stare at her. Something was definitely wrong. She walked up to him, she came so close to him that their faces were inches away from each other. Then without warning, she pushed him. Kirito was surprised that she was strong enough to do so. Then, when he felt the back of his leg hit something, she roughly shoved him back and he fell onto her bed.

As he fell, he hit his head against the wall and he cringed in pain. When he finally opened his eyes, Felicita was standing over him, beside the bed. He stared at her in shock, realizing what she was about to do. Even so he asked. "Felicita-san . . . what are you doing?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she got on the bed, kneeling next to him. "Felicita-san." He said again. She still didn't answer as she sat on top of his stomach, one leg on either side of him. She couldn't hear him. Only one thing was registering in her mind, her desperate desire to forget everything.

Kirito began to say the girl's name again, trying to get her to snap out of it, when her hand suddenly slipped under his shirt. He shivered as her fingers began to absently trace designs on his skin. "Please stop talking." She said again in monotone, her body leaning forward. Kirito looked into her face again. It was still blank, emotionless. He looked into her eyes. They seemed to be blank too . . . except . . . He looked into them, deeper, something was different about them. He could barely see it, but they seemed to be pleading with him.

Felicita leaned forward, as if to kiss him. "Don't talk." She whispered.

"Felicita-san!" Kirito grabbed her shoulders as he loudly said her name. He stared into her eyes, praying that she would come to her senses. They laid like that for what seemed like forever to Kirito. He held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

Kirito's touch seemed to allow his voice to reach Felicita. Slowly, her eyes lost their blank look and she became aware of what was going on. Kirito was relieved when he saw her almond-colored eyes brighten, as if she were waking from a trance.

The girl stared down at the boy under her, at first, confused at what was happening. Then, her eyes widened with horror as she realized what she had been about to do to him. She slowly got off of Kirito and off of the bed. Her hands went to her mouth and her eyes glistened with tears. She walked backwards, still watching Kirito as he sat up, watching her. Felicita didn't get very far before her knees gave out and she sat on her calves. _What kind of person have I become?_

That thought was like a trigger. Just a Felicita thought it, she immediately broke-down. "I'm sorry." She said as she sobbed into her hands. "I'm sorry. You probably hate me now."

Kirito watched the girl as she cried. He didn't hate her, he just felt sorry for her. He had seen the many things that Sword Art Online had reduced people to. Felicita was no different from the number of people whose lives were destroyed by this death game.

Kirito swung his legs onto the floor and stood up. He reached behind him and pulled the blanket off of the bed. He looked at the girl as he made his way over. Gently, he put the blanket around her shoulders. Felicita looked up at him, shocked by his act of kindness. She had at least expected him to slap her. Kirito looked into her eyes again. This time, he saw pain, fear, and most of all, remorse.

Gingerly, he picked her up, bridal style, and sat her on the bed. Then he sat next to her and waited for her to calm down. When she finally did and started to hiccup, he softly said. "Please tell me what happened. I want to help you." Felicita sat there quietly. Then, after deciding that she had been running away long enough, she began to tell him everything.

* * *

Kirito sat there, stunned at what he had just heard. He had sat quietly through the whole thing, but with great difficulty. She had told him _everything_, some of it with tears streaming down her face_. _From what happened after he left to what happened just before he had knocked her out of the tree. Now he knew that Seiji and Kinade were dead, Felicita was the infamous Shadow Thief, she had been given an invite into Laughing Coffin, and everything in between. This girl had been alone for the past six months, keeping all of that in until she cracked under the pressure. Her life had gone so far downhill.

Felicita just sat there. She was shaking slightly. She had just poured out everything that had been haunting her to this boy. She was now nervously wondering how he would react. Then to her surprise, he hugged her. "Wha-?" she began.

"I'm sorry." Kirito said, so softly that Felicita almost didn't hear.

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked, confused.

Kirito pulled away. He looked down at the ground, his hair shielding his eyes from the girl next to him. "Everything is my fault." He said.

Felicita just looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Kirito firmly grasped his hands in his lap. "Maybe . . . if I had joined your guild when you had asked me to . . . I could have helped you. Then things wouldn't have ended up this way."

The girl looked at him before vigorously shaking her head. "No. It's not your fault. You didn't know that it would happen. None of us did." She looked down at her hands. "Besides, you had your own reason for not joining us. I can respect that."

Kirito's body tensed. He felt hesitant to tell her, but he felt that Felicita had the right to know exactly why he hadn't joined the Timber Wolves. "The reason I gave you, for not joining, wasn't really the real reason why." Felicita looked at him in confusion before he continued. "Some time before I met you guys, I was with this guild named 'The Moonlit Black Cats.' You kinda reminded me of them. They were always so close. Anyway, I joined them, but I didn't tell them what level I was or that I was a beater. We fought together for a while, they wanted to buy their own house too. One day, they had enough money, so their leader went to a higher floor to go buy it. The others wanted to go into a higher level dungeon to get drops and col. I tried to tell them not to but they didn't listen." Kirito paused, took a breath, and continued. "We went and found a hidden room. Inside was a treasure chest. I told them not to go in, but they did, anyway. That was when the door closed behind us. Then, enemies appeared around us. Teleport crystals wouldn't work so we tried to fight them. Of course, everyone else was on a lower level than me. I watched them all die. When their leader came back, I told him what happened and the truth about who I was. I could tell he was devastated. He told me that I had never belonged with them. Then . . . he jumped to his death."

Felicita looked at him. His voice shook near the end of his story. No wonder he hadn't joined them. He was afraid. It was her turn to hug him.

She put the blanket around them both and hugged him around the middle. He seemed surprised and hesitated before he put an arm around her. "I'm sorry that happened to you." Felicita said softly.

There was a pause before he said. "Same to you." They sat like that for a while, in silence. It wasn't awkward anymore, it was more like they were happy to know someone who knew what they felt.

Finally, after a while, Felicita spoke up. "Is it ok if I don't call you 'Kirito-san?'"

Kirito smirked. "Only if I can call you 'Fel.'"

Felicita smiled. "Fair enough." She thought about it. "How about 'Kirito-kun?'"

"Fine."

"Just so you know, _Kirito-kun._ I still don't think of you romantically." This was true. She didn't. Kirito reminded her a lot of Kinade. She felt that he was almost like her brother.

Kirito chuckled. "I wasn't thinking that you did."

"Just making sure."

They sat like that for most of the night. Eventually, Kirito noticed that Felicita's arms slackened and her head fell into his lap. She had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself before lifting her up and laying her on her pillow. He placed the blanket over her and watched her for a minute. She looked so peaceful, and she reminded him a lot of Suguha, his sister. This thought just hardened his resolve to beat this game even more. Felicita didn't deserve what happened to her. No one deserves anything like what she experienced. It was all Sword Art Online's fault. It was all Akihiko Kayaba's fault. He wanted to beat the game so that people like Felicita could be free.

With this in mind, he sat on the foot of the bed, his back against the wall. Then, without meaning to, he fell asleep.

* * *

Felicita woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through her window. She felt . . . strange, but a good strange. She felt light and happy. She stretched her arms and legs out contentedly, then stopped when her foot touched something. Curious, she sat up to see Kirito asleep on the foot of her bed. _What the heck is he doing there? _Reaching behind her, Felicita grabbed her pillow. Then, she threw it at him. The pillow struck him in the chest and he sat up, startled.

"What?" he said groggily.

"What are you doing sleeping there?" Felicita asked. He looked around him, as if he just noticed something interesting before he shrugged. "That's not a good place to sleep. It's uncomfortable and bad for your back. Next time go to your own bed."

Kirito sighed as he stood up. "Yes, mother." He said tiredly.

"Don't 'yes, mother' me!" She said, blushing slightly.

Kirito smirked. "Yes, mother." Felicita reached for her bedside lamp and threw it at him. He calmly caught it just before it hit him in the face. He looked around it at her. "You really are violent." She just made a "hmph" sound in response and crossed her arms. Kirito laughed before becoming serious. "So what do you plan to do now? You shouldn't keep stealing from players who work hard every day to make their living."

Felicita slumped forward. "Yeah, I know." She sat there thinking. Then she said. "I won't steal from normal players anymore. I'll only steal from criminal ones."

Kirito looked at her. "But what else? Just stealing is a waste of your talents."

"I don't know." She answered after a moment. "But I'll eventually figure it out."

"Do you want my help?"

Felicita shook her head. "No. You've done so much for me already. Because of you, I'm confronting my past. I'm not running away anymore. You were right about my guild. I don't want to waste what we had, so I want to make up with what's left of them."

Kirito smiled. "That sounds like a plan. Well I guess we can leave together."

* * *

About an hour later, Felicita was walking with Kirito toward the teleportation gate in town. Both of them had re-equipped their armor and weapons. They had said good-bye and Kirito was about to teleport when he stopped, remembering something.

"Wait." He said. Puzzled, Felicita watched as he pulled up his menu and selected a few things. Then a friend request from him appeared in front of her.

She stared at it, then looked up at him. "You want to friend me? But I practically assaulted you." She looked at the ground when she said that. She still felt bad about it, even though she had done it during a mental breakdown.

"Of course," Kirito said, now in front of her. "After all that was said last night you expect us to remain acquaintances?" Felicita looked at him before giving him a small smile and accepting his request.

Kirito smiled as he put his hand on top of her head. "Be safe, ok? Message me if you need anything."

Felicita looked up at him and gave a bright smile, the first one that she had worn on her face in ages. "I will."

Kirito took his hand away then waved. "See you around." Felicita waved back as he teleported. Then, she thought about what to do next. She wanted to find the Timber Wolves but she wasn't sure how to go about doing it. She could send them a friend request and find them that way, but she wasn't so sure that they would accept. She sighed, realizing that she would have to go around and ask people if they had seen her guild. She began to walk through the streets, her hood up. Even though she had given up stealing, other people didn't know that, so she still needed to be careful.

As she walked, Felicita noticed something odd. It seemed like someone was following her. She glanced through the crowd but couldn't see anyone suspicious. Even though she couldn't see them, she _knew _that someone was following her, her detection skill at least told her that much. She decided to face this stalker of hers and go where there were no people around. The thief made her way through the town and to the outskirts where the safe zone ended. A little ways down the road, she leaned against a tree and waited.

She didn't have to wait long until she saw two people making their way toward her. Felicita was surprised when she saw that they wore the red and white uniform of the Knights of the Blood Oath. She recognized one of them. The girl in front had a rapier at her hip and long, orangish-brown hair that went past her waist. The other figure was a man with a sword and grayish hair.

As they reached her, Felicita tensed but smiled and said. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

They stopped and the girl in front drew her rapier. "I am Asuna the Lightning Flash. As second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath, I hereby place you, the Shadow Thief, under arrest for your crimes against the general public."

**A/N: There. So many things happened. Now do you see why I was nervous? I tried my best to set Kirito and Felicita's relationship as a sibling-like one. Also, I tried to describe Felicita's mental breakdown without having you all hate her. I still love her! Just think about it, she's been keeping everything to herself for six months. Who wouldn't lose their mind? I know I probably would. And Kirito, you understand why he didn't hate her right (I hated to put him in that situation by the way. He's my favorite anime character. I love him!)? Think about all of the crazies that showed up because they were trapped in the game. SAO drove people insane! And Kirito knows that, he experienced some of that shit firsthand. For example, Grimlock. I mentioned him so you guys might have kept him in mind as you read the rest of the story. Also, I left you with a cliffhanger. Asuna finally showed up! . . . And she wants to arrest our favorite thief . . . Anyway, you should have guessed that Asuna would show up, I put her in the important characters list. So, review, review, review! Especially give me feedback on the interaction between Kirito (was he out of character? I have a bad feeling that I didn't portray him right) and Felicita this chapter. Love you guys! (And I hope that you don't hate me now) See you next update!**


	13. Chapter 13: Asuna the Lightning Flash

Chapter 13: Asuna the Lightning Flash

**A/N: Here we go, the chapter that has Asuna in it! Now you can find out how this plays out. **

As the members of the KoB reached her, Felicita tensed but smiled and said. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

They stopped and the girl in front drew her rapier. "I am Asuna the Lightning Flash. As second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath, I hereby place you, the Shadow Thief, under arrest for your crimes against the general public."

_Oh crap. This is a problem. _Felicita began to panic slightly. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't find her guild if she was in a jail cell. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She needed to stall until she found an opening to escape.

Felicita got off of her tree and took a step forward, her hands behind her back. "So, Ms. Lightning Flash, you want to arrest me. That's a rude thing to say, considering we just met."

"This is no time for formalities." Asuna said, still brandishing her blade. "You have stolen from countless innocent people. It is time that you pay for your crimes."

"But what if I haven't committed any crimes. What if I am just someone posing as the Shadow Thief? No one has ever seen the Shadow Thief's face. How do you know if that is who I am?"

"Your clothes and weapon choice match the Shadow Thief's description. Not many can choose this style. It's only available and of use when certain skills are high enough. Only a few people have ever chosen to focus on those skills, such as stealth and pickpocketing. They are very fitting for a thief." This was true, Felicita was only able to wield two knives at the same time when her stealth, pickpocketing, and lock picking skills were high enough.

"Very perceptive. I must commend you. I'm curious, though, how did you find me?"

"Someone saw you in the town and called it in." This made Felicita sigh, she had a feeling that something like this would happen. "Enough talk." Asuna said angrily. "Come quietly or I will use force to bring you in."

"I'm sorry, Lightning Flash. I have important business to do and I can't do it inside of your prison. I won't be going with you without a fight."

Asuna smirked. "I'm sorry to hear that. Very well. I will cut you a deal, Shadow Thief. If you can beat me in a duel than I will let you go free . . . for the time being. But if I win, you will come with me without resistance. However, if you do resist, then I will be forced to kill you."

Felicita wasn't expecting an offer, but she thought about it. It sounded good. She knew that Asuna was very skilled, but Felicita had skills of her own and was not planning on losing.

Felicita smiled. "Fine. I'll go along with your offer, Lightning Flash, seeing as how you would chase me down if I fled right now." The duel was Felicita's only choice. She was fast and could run, but she knew that Asuna wasn't called "Lightning Flash" for nothing.

Asuna nodded and pulled up her menu. When Felicita received the duel request, she accepted and made it a one-strike battle. The countdown began and they moved into place, Asuna and Felicita stood several yards away from each other while Asuna's companion stood close by, watching. As the Lightning Flash stood at the ready, with her rapier in front of her, Felicita went through her menu and switched her knives out for her short sword. It looked like Asuna was about to question her so Felicita gave an explanation. "If it's all the same to you, I prefer to use my short sword when fighting an opponent head on rather than use my status inhibiting knives, mostly because it's more of a fair fight that way."

Asuna looked at her opponent, her eyebrows furrowed. _Who knew that the Shadow Thief had a sense of fair play?_

Both girls stood, their swords at the ready, waiting for the countdown to get to zero. They looked each other in the eye, not taking their eyes away for a second. The timer ticked and a tense silence filled the air. They began to circle each other and, before they knew it the timer initiated the battle.

Felicita wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so she struck first. She rushed Asuna, then as she got closer, she dropped and struck from below. Asuna swiftly parried and their swords locked for a moment. Then Asuna flipped over Felicita and released several quick jabs at Felicita's back, but Felicita had rolled away by then so Asuna only struck air. Cursing under her breath, Asuna placed her free hand down so that it landed on the ground first and she used it to manipulate her momentum and quickly flip so that she landed on her feet.

The Shadow Thief was already coming in for another attack, her strategy was to be aggressive. She rushed in and spun so that her sword built up momentum and rushed at Asuna in a horizontal slash. Asuna ducked and jabbed her rapier forward, only to strike air again as Felicita gracefully did a one-handed back flip to dodge. As the thief landed on her feet, Asuna took the opportunity to strike first. She rushed in with her rapier, activating a sword skill that turned it orange, and executed multiple quick jabs. She was surprised when Felicita was able to dodge all of them. Felicita then stabbed upward at Asuna's head. Asuna barely moved her head to the side in time and tried to stab Felicita in the side, but the thief simply cartwheeled away.

The other member of the KoB stood nearby and watched in amazement at the blurs that were clashing in front of him. He was surprised that there was someone capable of keeping up with the second-in-command.

Felicita on the other hand, knew that she would soon be reaching her limit. She was surprised to find someone that could match her speed, but she was starting to think that Asuna may have been faster than her. As the fight progressed, Felicita noticed how hard it was to dodge some of Asuna's attacks and how easily Asuna dodged some of hers. It would only be a matter of time before Asuna finally landed a blow. The thief's mind began to race as she tried to devise a plan to win, but no matter what attack or sword skill she thought to use, she could easily see the Lightning Flash dodging it. She scanned her surroundings as she fought, trying to find something she could use to her advantage. Then, just off of the path from where they were fighting, Felicita noticed a bunch of different sized rocks behind Asuna and had an idea.

She rushed at Asuna, then quickly jumped and tried to land an aerial blow. Asuna put her rapier up and blocked. Felicita used that and her momentum to flip over Asuna and land in a crouch among the rocks. Asuna turned and immediately dashed in pursuit. She charged her sword skill and sent multiple jabs at her opponent with her rapier. Felicita parried them and rushed forward with her own set of rapid attacks. She sent slash after slash at Asuna, forcing her to put all of her focus on blocking and dodging. Felicita willed herself to go faster, slowly pushing Asuna backward. Asuna was so focused that she wasn't paying any attention to her footing. As she took another step back, her foot caught on a rock. Asuna panicked slightly as she reeled backward. Felicita took this opportunity to slash downward on Asuna's shoulder. Asuna saw this and put her rapier up to block while she tried to regain her balance at the same time. Felicita smirked and turned her blow into a feint. She redirected her sword and it ended up slashing Asuna in the leg.

Asuna fell over and Felicita jumped back in triumph as the Congratulations icon appeared in front of her. She swiped her sword in front of her once before sheathing it behind her back at the waist.

Asuna still sat on the ground, amazed that she had been beaten. Felicita smirked and looked at her, her hands on her hips. "Looks like I win Ms. Second-in-command. I had to use a little trickery there, you would have beaten me otherwise, but we both know that, in a fight for your life, there are no rules." She bowed grandly. "I guess you will be arresting me another day." She smiled as she straightened up and looked at Asuna again.

Then, she was literally stabbed in the back. She fell forward and onto the ground. Luckily, her face had turned to the side so she could see behind her. Asuna's companion was above her, holding a knife in her back. He pulled it out and she tried to move, but then noticed the paralysis symbol next to her health bar.

Felicita laughed once. "I wouldn't have expected you to play dirty, Lightning Flash."

Asuna was standing now, and marching her way over to them. "Kuradeel, what are you doing? I fully intended to keep my promise. I didn't order you to do this."

Kuradeel straightened and said in reply to his commanding officer. "Excuse me, ma'am, but the Shadow Thief seemed to be getting the best of you and, while you made that deal I did not, so I followed our orders in taking the thief into custody."

Asuna didn't look happy about this but remained silent as Kuradeel lifted Felicita and carried her over his shoulder. Felicita smirked but inside she was freaking out. _What the hell am I supposed to do now?!_

* * *

Felicita was unceremoniously thrown into her cell at the KoB headquarters. She landed painfully on her back on the cold, stone floor. She sat there, dazed in pain until her cell door closed with a loud clang. She quickly got up and put her hands on the bars. "I would have walked in myself you know!" She yelled at the guard who had thrown her. He smiled unapologetically and walked away, leaving another guard to stand watch, his back to the cell.

The small girl huffed. Now she was stuck there with crappy company like that guy was. She would either be there until the game was cleared, they decided to put her on trial, or they decided to just kill her, whatever came first. She looked around, trying to find something to do. Then, the guard in front of her cell caught her attention. He seemed to fidget as he stood there. She smirked.

"Hey guy," She said, making the guard glance at her. "Can you tell me which way the exit is? That way this will just run smoother when I break out of here later." He turned swiftly, his spear pointed at her. "Don't be stupid. I don't have anything to break out with. I was searched, remember? I only have the clothes on my back." The guard relaxed slightly. Felicita folded her arms around the bars. "So, what's your name?" The guard remained silent. "Come on. I just wanted to be friendly and start a conversation."

He turned, so he wasn't facing her, and answered. "I'm not allowed to talk to you."

"Aw." Felicita whined. "You're no fun. Alright, I guess I will just teleport out of here then." The guard quickly turned, his spear pointed at her again. She just smirked at him. "What did I just tell you?" He looked really irritated now. He turned back around and didn't say anything. "Maybe if you told me your name I wouldn't mess with you as much."

The guard hesitated. He really wasn't supposed to talk to her, but he was really annoyed by her at this point so he took his chances. "Shigure." He said.

"Hm." Felicita thought about it for a moment. "Does that mean you can turn into a dog?"

Shigure looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Bark for me." The thief commanded.

"No."

"Then beg."

"No!"

"I thought that dogs were supposed to be obedient." She picked up a stone from the floor and threw it into the hallway. "Fetch." Shigure just looked at her. "Do you at least like dogs?"

Shigure turned to face front again. "I guess."

"Were you born in the year of the dog?"

"No. What's with all the dog questions?"

"Why are you talking to me? I thought you weren't allowed to." Shigure looked at her for a moment, then quickly faced forward. This girl was starting to get on his nerves. Felicita just smirked. "I think that we will become great friends, Shigure." She retreated from the bars and sat in a corner. _No one ever gets my references._ Staying in a jail cell may not be as boring as she thought it would.

* * *

Nothing very interesting happened until the next day. She was sleeping on the floor of her cell when she heard a voice. "Hey." It said. Felicita just stirred a little. "Wake up."

The girl turned over. "No." She mumbled. "Five more minutes."

"Fel, if you don't wake up now, I'm leaving you here."

_That voice sounds familiar. _She sat up groggily and turned toward the voice. When her vision focused, her eyes widened and she smiled broadly. "Kirito-kun!"

Kirito looked at the thief through the bars, his arms were crossed and he had a smirk on his face. "I can't leave you alone for one day, can I?"

Felicita walked up to the bars, still smiling. "Nope. I am totally helpless."

Kirito sighed. "It seems that way." He moved aside to allow a guard to unlock the door. Once it was open, Felicita rushed out and hugged Kirito. He held her with one arm and fondly patted her head with his free hand. "You're lucky I heard about your arrest when I did. I was able to put in a good word for you."

Felicita pulled away and said. "Thanks, Kirito-kun."

He smirked. "That makes me like your knight in shining armor. Have you fallen for me yet?"

Felicita punched him on the arm. "No. In your dreams."

"Again with the violence? And after I bailed you out of jail too."

Felicita smiled. "That's just me. Deal with it."

Then they heard someone walking up to them. They both turned to see Asuna quickly making her way over to them. She stopped a few feet away and opened up a trading menu. "Here are your things. Sorry I arrested you. I didn't know that Kirito had worked something out with you already."

Felicita accepted the trade and happily re-equipped her gear. "It's fine Asuna-san."

"Just 'Asuna' is fine."

Felicita looked between the two next to her. "So how do you guys know each other?"

"We fight on the front lines together a lot." Kirito answered her.

Felicita's eyes widened. "Really?" They nodded. "Kirito-kun, you didn't tell me that you were on the front lines."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't?"

"Yes, you did tell me, that's why I asked." She said sarcastically, then punched him on the arm again. "No you didn't tell me, stupid!"

"Sorry! Geez."

"How did you find out I was arrested, anyway."

"I mentioned it to him." Asuna answered. "Then he freaked out and told me that he had convinced you to give up stealing. We were able to get you released." Asuna turned and gestured for them to follow her. "Come on, I'll lead you out."

Kirito and Felicita followed Asuna as she led them out of the prison. Then, for some reason that Felicita couldn't quite figure out, Kirito and Asuna got into an argument.

"How do you expect to get anywhere in life, Kirito, if you always play solo?"

"What are you talking about? I am perfectly fine soloing."

"I don't just mean while fighting, I also mean socially. I told you that it wouldn't hurt to make some friends."

"I'm doing that! See, Felicita's my friend."

"When I said make friends I didn't mean with wanted criminals! Use some common sense."

"But what's wrong with Fel? She's not stealing anymore!"

"I didn't mean anything against her! I bet that she's the only one other than myself on your friends list isn't she?"

"I-I didn't say that!"

"But you stuttered, which just proves it."

"Stop making things up, Asuna!"

"I'm not. Fine, prove me wrong. Name three of your other friends then."

"Uh . . ."

"Well? Go on."

"I . . . don't have to answer you."

"I was right."

"But I didn't say anything!"

"Exactly, which proves my point."

Kirito made a short growling sound in his throat and Felicita couldn't help but laugh. Asuna and Kirito looked at her. "What?"

Felicita smiled wryly at them "You two remind me of an old married couple." Kirito and Asuna blushed slightly, not looking at each other. Then Asuna quickly walked ahead of them. Felicita then whispered to Kirito. "She's a good one. Don't screw it up."

"What are you talking about?" Kirito asked, still blushing. The small girl beside him just smiled and continued to walk. For some reason, she enjoyed making Kirito feel uncomfortable.

As they reached the exit, Felicita sighed and stretched. "Well, thanks, guys. I guess I'll be going now."

"Wait. You can't leave yet."

Felicita looked back at Asuna. "Why?" She was confused.

Kirito and Asuna glanced at each other. Kirito then looked at Felicita. "There's a catch to your release."

Felicita's heart dropped. Of course just being released was too good to be true. "What is it?"

Asuna looked at her for a while. "Commander Heathcliff would like a word with you."

** A/N: Oh no! Heathcliff wants to talk to her! I wonder what he wants to say . . . just kidding, I already know! Ha! And you don't! Suffer, pathetic readers! Anyway, hoped you liked this chapter, especially the duel and the character interaction. Also, did anyone get my Shigure reference? It's ok if you didn't, I'll reveal it later if you want me to, but I hope that you were still entertained. So, please review and all that crap at your own convenience. See you next update!**


	14. Chapter 14: The KoB's Dog

Chapter 14: The KoB's Dog

**A/N: Well this definitely came earlier than I expected, seeing as how I just updated my other story a several hours ago. It's really late too. What is it like 3:30 in the morning? Oh well, I couldn't sleep anyway. Now, go ahead and read my little darlings, I know you want to.**

Felicita was now walking through the halls of the KoB's headquarters with Kirito. Asuna had had some important second-in-command business to take care of so she couldn't accompany them. Kirito was taking Felicita to meet with Commander Heathcliff, seeing as how Felicita had never stepped foot in the KoB's headquarters before and couldn't go by herself.

As they walked, Kirito couldn't help but notice that Felicita was fidgeting and fingering one of her knives under her cloak. Her hood was down though, and he figured that that was a good step for her.

The swordsman put a hand on Felicita's head. "Hey, it's going to be fine." He reassured her. "Heathcliff can be really strict but he's a very reasonable man."

"Yeah, I guess." Felicita sighed. "But what does he want to talk to me about? I'm a thief. What would he want from me?"

"I'm not really sure." Kirito said thoughtfully, one hand on his elbow, the other on his chin. "He didn't give us any specific details when we convinced him to release you." Suddenly, Felicita stopped walking. Kirito noticed after a few steps and turned to look at her. "Fel? What's wrong?" He realized that she was staring passed him at something. The boy was about to turn around to look when Felicita pulled him into a nearby hallway. "What-?" he began, but the girl just shushed him as she stood next to him against the wall.

Felicita hugged his arm, as if trying to hide behind him. Kirito was confused. Then he heard voices and looked in their direction. It took a while, but eventually a group of KoB members came into view. Felicita's grip on Kirito's arm tightened as they passed. The group wouldn't see them unless they looked down the hall they were in and she was afraid that they would.

Once the group had passed, Kirito and Felicita stood in shocked silence for a minute. Then Kirito turned and looked down at the girl clutching his arm. "Ryner-san." He said.

Felicita looked up at him. "Did you know that he was a Knight of the Blood Oath?"

Kirito shook his head. "No, I don't know many members of the KoB personally."

"And the boy in the front . . . that was . . ."

"Toma." Kirito finished for her. "He's a skilled lance-user. He has a high rank but not nearly as high as Asuna's. Do you know him?"

Felicita nodded after a while. "He was in my guild before we met you and Seiji."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Really?"

Felicita nodded again before looking down at the ground. "He left because he thought that we were holding him back. I guess we were, seeing as how he was able to get a high rank in the KoB." For some reason, Kirito felt like he did not like Toma very much at that moment. Felicita looked back up at Kirito. "Kirito-kun, what could this mean? If Ryner is here, then . . ."

Kirito knew what she was thinking. He shook his head. "No, your guild is _not_ dead, don't think that. I know Silica personally, she isn't dead. Now I know I can't say the same thing about Riku-san, but if she's as strong as you say, she's not dead either." Felicita pondered his words before nodding. Kirito tugged his arm gently. "We can worry about that later, but right now, we have something important to do."

". . . Ok." Felicita finally said before letting go of Kirito's arm. She followed him back into the hallway that they had been in before and continued to walk. As the swordsman led her, Felicita was absorbed in her thoughts. She was really worried now. What had happened to the Timber Wolves? Where was Riku? Felicita shook her head. Kirito was right, she had something important to deal with right now. Everything else would have to wait.

Finally they reached the large doors that led into the room Heathcliff was waiting in. Kirito turned to look at Felicta. "Alright, this is as far as I can go. You will have to go in on your own. Just stay calm and everything should be fine." Felicita nodded nervously. Kirito pointed to a door down the hall. "I'll be waiting in the first room to the left. Go in there when you're finished. I'll leave the door open, so just run out screaming if you need me. I'll hear you."

Felicita gave a small smile and punched him on the arm lightly. "Like I'm going to do that. I need to keep _some _of my dignity intact."

"I'm just saying, I'll be your knight in shining armor and run to your rescue. You'll definitely fall for me then." He smirked as she punched him again. "Seriously, I'll be there if you need me."

"Ok. Thanks, Kirito-kun."

Kirito lightly patted the top of her head. "No problem." With that, Felicita glanced at him one last time before opening the doors and going inside.

As Felicita closed the doors behind her, she couldn't help but look in awe at the large room in front of her. Not much was in it. A long desk was at the other side of the room, the wall behind it completely made of glass. The rest of the room was empty, which Felicita thought was just a waste of space. Behind the desk was a man with grayish hair. She knew it was Heathcliff because his clothes were unique, red with white trimming instead of the other way around.

Heathcliff was stoic faced as he addressed her. "You must be the Shadow Thief. Please come in." Felicita quietly did as she was told and walked to stand a few yards in front of the desk. He contemplated her for a moment before saying "I apologize for the treatment you received when you arrived. We were unaware that you had previously spoken to Kirito." Felicita stood quietly so Heathcliff continued. "I understand that you and Kirito came to an agreement."

Felicita nodded. "Yes sir. I told him that I would give up stealing from green players and I would put my talents toward something more productive."

Heathcliff rested his elbows on the table and pressed his fingertips together, forming a steeple. "May I ask what you plan to do?"

The petite girl hesitated before answering. "Before I became a thief, there were some people that I held very close to my heart. I know that they're in Aincrad somewhere and I want to make amends with them."

Heathcliff nodded his head in approval. "That is a worthy goal. Very understandable."

Felicita fidgeted in her spot nervously before asking "Sir, may I ask why you released me and called me here?"

"Ah, yes, you must be wondering about my reasoning. Well, despite the fact that you have sworn off crimes against the common, honest player, we cannot simply wave off your previous offenses. You stole from countless people in the past and that cannot be ignored."

Felicita swallowed nervously. "Am I to be sentenced?"

"To death? No. We try to avoid unnecessary killing. I had something else in mind. To atone for your transgressions, normally you would either have to pay a fine or be sentenced to prison until SAO is cleared. However, we both know that you do not have the col to pay such a fine, otherwise you would not have become a thief. The other option would be to let you rot in jail but then your skill set would be wasted. So I have come up with an alternative: you will become . . . shall I say the Knights of the Blood Oath's dog until this game is cleared. You are not required to join our guild, but you must follow orders that we give you. However, we will give you ample time to pursue your goal."

Felicita thought about the offer. It sounded slightly demeaning working as the dog of the biggest and most powerful guild in Aincrad, but it sounded better than staying in a jail cell. The girl nodded. "I would be glad to accept."

"I am glad to hear that, but you cannot have this position just yet." Felicita looked at him in confusion. "I have heard a great deal of your talents from Kirito, but I want to see them for myself, so you must prove to me just how skilled and trustworthy you can be as well as what you can do to benefit the Knights of the Blood Oath and all players in Aincrad." Heathcliff folded his hands and waited for the thief to reply.

Felicita stood there, shocked, but her mind began to race all the same. What could she do to prove herself? Then, she had an idea. It left a bad feeling in her stomach, but if she could pull it off, then Heathcliff would be sure to let her take the position. She wasn't looking forward to being his underling, but she _did _want to atone for the mistakes that she made.

The girl took a breath and began to speak. "Well . . ."

* * *

Kirito was pacing across the rug in the room he was waiting in. The room looked almost like a break room. A few soft chairs and a couch stood in the center of the rug surrounding a small coffee table. Asuna sat in one of the chairs, her legs crossed and her fingers nervously drumming on the armrest. She had walked in a few minutes ago, having walked by and seen Kirito inside. She was now waiting with him until Felicita came back.

Finally Asuna couldn't take it anymore. "Kirito, will you sit down? Just watching you makes me nervous."

Kirito shook his head. "I tried sitting down earlier, but I couldn't stay in the chair."

Asuna watched him for a moment. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah!" Kirito said, his hands briefly going into the air. "She's been in there for a while now."

A minute later, Asuna asked. "Why are you helping her? Not that it's a bad thing, you just seem really driven."

Kirito gave his answer some thought before saying "She's been through a lot since this game began. I just really want to help her out."

". . . What's your relationship with her? I mean, you two seem really close."

Kirito glanced at her. "We met earlier on in the game and then again a few days ago. She's a really good friend. Actually, it feels more like she's my little sister. Why?"

Asuna looked away from him and out the window. "No reason. I was just curious." Why did her cheeks suddenly feel warm?

There was silence between them for a few minutes. Then Felicita walked into the room. "Fel." Kirito said as he ceased his pacing. She went to meet them in the middle of the room.

"How did it go?" Asuna asked.

Felicita gave a small smile. "Well, he said that I couldn't simply be pardoned for my crimes, so I have to be like the KoB's dog until SAO is cleared. I have to follow orders and do jobs for them."

"Well that doesn't sound that bad." Asuna reasoned.

Kirito, however, noticed that Felicita was avoiding eye contact and instead was looking at the ground. He looked at her sternly. "That's not it is it? What else did he say, Fel?"

The small girl hesitated before continuing. "He said that I have to prove myself first before I can take the position."

"Ok. And what did he say?"

". . . It's more like what I said."

"Fel . . . what did you agree to do?" The girl remained quiet as she looked at the floor. Kirito's mind began to race as he thought about the things that Felicita could have offered. What was something that only she could do? Then his eyes widened as he came to an answer. He grabbed Felicita by the shoulders and looked at her face. "You didn't."

Asuna was confused. "What? What didn't she do?"

Felicita still wouldn't look at them. "It's supposed to be secret."

"We won't tell anyone, Fel. We promise. Now what did you say?" Kirito asked but Felicita remained quiet. His grip relaxed slightly as he continued. "Fine. I'll just say what I think you said." The thief looked up into Kirito's eyes. "You told him that you would infiltrate and take down Laughing Coffin didn't you?" Kirito saw Felicita's eyes guiltily look to the ground, and knew he was right.

* * *

Earlier, during Felicita's meeting with Heathcliff, Felicita just finished offering the only thing she could think of. Heathcliff had his hands folded thoughtfully under his chin. "That is some offer, it would be very beneficial if you succeeded. But it is a large job. Are you certain that you can accomplish it?"

Felicita nodded. "I was offered a place in their ranks several days ago. I have yet to give them a reply, but if I agree to it now and they trust me enough to let me in, then I could leak information about them to you and with that, we could potentially bring them down."

"You do realize that this is a test of _your _capabilities? No one from the guild can help you."

The girl in front of him nodded. "I am aware, sir. I should be fine though. With my high stealth and listening skills I should be able to glean a lot of information. As long as I'm not found out, I won't be killed."

Heathcliff considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Since you are so sure that you are capable of this endeavor, it will be your assignment. Just so you know, you will be under constant surveillance until this matter is over, you _are_ being tested. Also, you must keep this a secret. Obviously, if word got out, it could eventually reach Laughing Coffin's ears. The higher-ups of this guild will be made aware, but that is about it. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Then good luck, you are dismissed." Felicita nodded and turned, making her way toward the exit.

* * *

Asuna stared at Felicita and Kirito, shocked at what it had been discovered that Felicita had offered to prove herself. "What? But how could anyone pull that off?"

Felicita glanced at her nervously. "They invited me into their guild a few days ago. If I accept and get in, I could bring them down from the inside."

"Surely you're not planning on doing this alone?" Asuna asked.

Felicita nodded. "Heathcliff said that no one from the guild was allowed to help me." She was starting to regret offering to take down the biggest murder guild in Aincrad, her knees were starting to feel weak.

It was silent for a moment. Then Kirito spoke up. "Then that's how it's going to be. No one from the guild will help you, but I will."

"What?" Asuna asked incredulously.

Felicita was dumbfounded. ". . . Kirito-kun."

"I'm not a member of this guild, remember? So I'll help you." Kirito said with a smile, his hands on his hips.

"Is-Is that really ok?" Asuna questioned.

Kirito nodded. "As long as I'm not found out." He turned to look at the former thief. "So what do you say? How does a partnership sound?"

Felicita looked at him for a minute. Then she smiled and hugged him gratefully, tears were in her eyes. She was so relieved. She had been scared at the prospect of completing this task alone. "A partnership sounds good." Felicita said into Kirito's shirt. "Thank you, Kirito-kun."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He asked as he hugged her back.

"I'm pretty sure they're not for helping each other infiltrate murder guilds." She answered, her voice muffled.

Kirito chuckled. "No, I guess not."

They pulled away and Asuna spoke. "Felicita-san, I know that the guild isn't supposed to help, but if you need absolutely anything, I'm sure I can arrange something."

Felicita smiled at her. "Thanks, Asuna. By the way, you don't have to call me that anymore. It sounds too formal."

* * *

The next day, Kirito and Felicita made their way to the clearing on Floor 31 where Laughing Coffin made their offer to Felicita. Before they arrived, they agreed that, while Felicita was with Laughing Coffin, they couldn't be friends or in a party in case they forced her to show them her menu. However, Kirito promised to stay close by so he could keep an eye on Felicita and come to her aid if need be.

Felicita went into the clearing alone, Kirito was nearby, hidden among the trees. The girl stood there apprehensively, she would have been outright scared, but knowing that Kirito was close by, she felt reassured.

It wasn't long before several figures appeared from the shadows and came to stand in front of Felicita. The same, low, cold voice that had offered her the position in Laughing Coffin spoke to her. "So, Shadow Thief, have you come to a decision?"

Felicita gathered herself together before answering. "Yes. I accept."

"We're very happy to hear that." He said. From his tone, Felicita could tell that he was smiling. The man turned. "If you would follow me."

**A/N: Ok, so there you have it. I think I'm getting better at leaving cliffhangers. What do you guys think? Well, I've been doing it for the past few chapters so I could only improve from there. So, a lot of things happened in this chapter. What's going to happen next you ask? Well I'm evil, so I won't tell you. Just wait and see what happens with Ryner, Toma, and Laughing Coffin! By the way, I should have mentioned this last chapter, but do you like the book cover I have for this story? It's not as good as the one I have for my other one but his one isn't half bad. Well, review for now! Tell me your thoughts. I always get excited when I see I have a new review and so far, the words you guys put have done nothing but make my day! See ya next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15: Initiation

Chapter 15: Initiation

**A/N: Finally! Chapter 15. I just want to start with an apology. I know I haven't updated in over two weeks but this chapter was causing problems. It was mostly writer's block but I will admit that I procrastinated for most of the first week. I am guilty. I knew where I wanted this chapter to go but I didn't know how to get there. There were just several different scenarios to choose from in my head and none of them seemed quite right so I had to think about it. Don't worry though, I will try to get chapter 16 up in less than a week. Now, as my way of making my delay up to you, I present the longest chapter for this story so far! It's 5,550 words even!**

Kirito stood in the shadows and watched as Felicita was led away by a group of three, hooded figures. He followed them from a distance, careful not to get too close yet not too far. Eventually, they led him to a nearby town. It was a very small one and not many people visited or lived in it.

They walked through streets and down alleyways until they reached the square with a teleportation platform. Kirito hid behind the wall of a building and watched as the group of four stopped and seemed to talk about something. Then, Felicita pulled up her menu and one of the other figures stood at her shoulder and looked at it. So he had been right, they _would_ check her menu. They wanted to be sure that no one would be able to track her to their hideout. Too bad that was pointless.

It wasn't long before Felicita closed her menu and the four of them stepped onto the platform. Even though Kirito wasn't very close to them, he could strain his ears enough to know that they went to a town on Floor 6. The swordsman waited a few seconds before going onto the platform himself. He wanted to be sure that they weren't on the other platform when he got there. Light swirled around him as he teleported and, in a matter of seconds, his surroundings changed. As the light faded, he looked at the new scenery. The town around him was gray and practically deserted. It was foggy and in the distance, surrounding the town, he could see gnarled, dead trees.

Kirito glanced around and panicked slightly when he didn't see anyone, but he kept his cool and silently jumped onto the nearest rooftop. He crawled on his stomach to the top and got there just in time to see several figures duck into the shadows of some trees. Kirito stood up, crouching slightly and went in that direction. He jumped across several rooftops and to the wall that surrounded the town. He landed on it in a low crouch, looked around below him to make sure it was safe, and jumped down.

The boy in black blended into the darkness and followed the group of four through the trees. It was still early afternoon, yet it looked like it was dusk. This place really seemed to fit the Laughing Coffin guild, but he doubted that this was where their base of operations was. They wouldn't risk taking Fel to their main hideout. She wasn't an actual member yet so they had to make sure she was trustworthy first.

As he crept along, Kirito couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. Fel was going in there alone. What if they found out that she was actually spying on them and killed her? He couldn't bare that thought. It would really suck if she died now after all she had been through. She had so much potential, he could tell, and ever since that night several days ago, she was so full of life, just like when he first met her. If he let her die now, he would never forgive himself. He wanted her to see the end of SAO and go back to the real world where maybe her life would be so much happier than it was now.

Eventually, Kirito could see faint lights in the distance. He moved a little faster, until finally he was hidden just at the edge of a small clearing. As he looked at what was in the small space between the otherwise tightly packed trees, he couldn't help but feel slightly amazed. In the clearing was what looked like a mansion. _That _wasn't what he was expecting from the biggest murder guild in Aincrad, maybe a cave or something, but then again, it made sense. Their guild _was _a criminal guild, no matter which way you looked at it. They had a lot of skilled members and, in addition to raiding and dominating unfrequented dungeons, they probably stole _a lot_, including col, so being able to afford something like this wasn't very surprising. They probably even had some supporters here and there that contributed to their "cause." The location was pretty genius as well. It was on a lowly populated floor deep in the woods. It would be difficult to find unless you knew exactly where it was.

Then, Kirito noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to see Felicita and the other three slip inside. He sighed. This was as far as he could go without getting caught. He prayed that Felicita would be safe as he leapt into a nearby tree to watch and wait.

* * *

Felicita couldn't help but feel _very _afraid as the three Laughing Coffin members lead her along through the dead, creepy forest. Was this really where their base was or were they just going to kill her after all? She dreaded the moment when they would reach their destination. But she shouldn't be worrying that much anyway because Kirito was close by . . . right? She hadn't seen him at all since she had left him in the trees of Floor 31, but that was probably a good thing, it meant that her companions probably had no idea he was there. Her heart seemed to stop beating when she thought of the possibility that he had lost them . . . or worse, he had been caught by some Laughing Coffin members that were hiding among the trees. What would they do if they caught him? Would they kill him, beat him, rob him, or all three? Maybe she shouldn't have let him come.

It was eerily quiet as the four of them made their way through the dense, bare trees. No one spoke, which was either really good or really bad. The LC members had positioned themselves so that the one with the deep, cold voice was standing next to Felicita and the other two were following close behind. It took all of the girl's willpower not to turn around and look at the two behind her. Her back felt really exposed and vulnerable with them there.

"We're here." Startled, Felicita looked at the man standing beside her. Then she looked at where they were and her eyes widened. There was a mansion . . . in the middle of the woods. "Very impressive, isn't it?" The man beside her said. "Not as impressive as our current headquarters but this is still nice." Felicita nodded wordlessly. "Shall we go in then?"

The girl swallowed. "Yeah. Sure."

So, they led her to the large, wooden front doors and they slowly creaked open, as if on their own. Inside, it was very dimly lit so it was hard to see. Felicita glanced at the man next to her and he grandly gestured for her to go in first. Her head inclined in a slight nod and, before she could change her mind, she went inside.

She tried not to look absolutely terrified as she walked in, and that was very hard for her. Just inside the door, was a very cavernous room lined with columns. The interior would have been nice if it weren't so gray. Several people were in the room. Some were sitting in chairs, a few were leaning against the columns, and they were all looking at her. Felicita swallowed nervously and made her way to center of the room. The door closed behind her and the man with the low voice told her to take a seat. She complied and she sat on the edge of a nearby chair.

The girl sat for a few moments in silence, waiting. The others in the room seemed to be doing the same thing. It was absolutely silent. What were they waiting for?

Then, a door to her right opened and a single figure strode into the room and sat in a chair opposite her. By his expression, which she could see because he wasn't wearing a mask, she could tell he was completely at ease. She thought it was weird that he wasn't wearing a mask, but it was probably because he wasn't out . . . doing . . . criminal things.

His legs were crossed and his arms were resting on the back of the chair. He smiled kindly at her. "So, you're the Shadow Thief. I have to say, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've wanted to for some time now. You are quite the legend, even in Aincrad's underworld."

Felicita was surprised by that fact and temporarily forgot her fear. "Really?" She knew that she was well known but not a _legend _among orange players.

"Of course. You are a solo act and successful at that. Not many can pull that off. That's why we join and create guilds to take refuge in. People like us, we only have each other."

The girl in gray looked around her at the other LC members. They were all wearing the signature gray, frayed cloaks, but some of them weren't wearing masks which she thought was a little weird. Then again they were technically at home, people were allowed to let their hair down at home right?

Felicita looked at the man across from her and nodded. "I understand. Some people aren't as lucky as those on the front lines. We can't go up there and help. We just . . . don't fit in."

The man nodded knowingly. "I'm glad you understand that. Some may think that we are despicable people, but really, we are just finding our way in the world. Isn't that human nature?" He sat forward. "And now, you are to join us. I am truly happy for you. Even though you were successful as a solo player, there are limitations to what solo players can do. With us, you can push further, have safety, friends, and even family. People here will understand you."

Felicita gave him a small smile. He took that to mean she was nervous and not scared of the eyes watching her. "Don't be afraid. After the initiation, you will be welcomed with open arms."

The petite girl blinked. "Initiation?"

The man sighed. "Yes. All future members must prove their worth before they can join. Even though you are well known, the master of our guild would like to see for himself what you are capable of."

Felicita held her breath. She had not been expecting this. What would they ask her to do? She balled her hands into fists. "What do I need to do?"

The man looked at her for a moment. "Our leader would like to give you a slightly more difficult job than is the normal, seeing as how you are rumored to be very skilled. You will have to take care of a certain . . . pest that has been bothering us for some time." He paused and Felicita held her breath in wait. "Of course you know of the Knights of the Blood Oath. It is not commonly known that they have a small division that specializes in the control of the underworld when boss raids are not being coordinated. They have been causing us quite a bit of trouble, especially their leader, Toma. We would like you to eliminate him for us."

Felicita's breath caught in her throat. "Toma?" She eventually breathed out.

The man across from her nodded. "Yes. He is a very skilled lance user. You would expect him to be a skilled swordsman considering he is in the _Knights _of the Blood Oath guild, but apparently he is fairly skilled with the sword as well. Because of him, our numbers are not what they should be. If you could take care of him for us that would mean a world of difference." He smiled brightly at her.

The girl just stared at him for a minute. He was asking her to _kill _Toma? But he was one of the four people she was trying to make amends with, not originally, but still. She didn't think he would befriend her again if she killed him. He'd be dead. Then again, she couldn't disagree with these people. She had a feeling that, if she did, she would never see the light of day again . . . or _any _light for that matter. She had a dilemma on her hands.

She sighed through her nose. She didn't see any other option at the moment. She would have to deal with the details later. "Alright. I'll do it."

The man nodded. "Good. Your little mission will take place tomorrow. A small squad will accompany you as a witness and to ensure that you will not be interfered with as you deal with him. You won't need to track him or anything as tedious as that, just comparing his skill to yours will be test enough." He gestured to someone behind her. "You will be shown to your room in the meantime." She stood up and walked after the three that had led her in. "And my name is Mathias if you need anything." He called after her.

Felicita was lead through a door, up some stairs and down a hall where she was left at a door near the end. She braced herself as she opened the door, a nervous hand grasped the handle of one of her knives, but nothing jumped at her. She relaxed and closed the door behind her once she was sure her detection skill wasn't going off. It was a simple room. A bed was against the wall to her left, a bedside table and lamp were right next to it, and a window was on the wall across from the door. Shakily, she sat on the bed.

This was a problem. She was expected to _kill. _Sure it was a murder guild, but Felicita had never murdered anyone in cold blood before. Even when she was stealing, she had always been resolved to never kill, even if the consequence was that she would die herself. She flopped onto her back. _What am I supposed to do? _On top of that she had to kill _Toma. _Even though she hadn't known him for very long, he had still been a part of her guild at some point. Becoming friends with him was not her top priority, but it was worth a try. Back on the Floor One boss raid, the six of them had worked so well together. She believed that they could have that again. Or could they? Before he had left the Timber Wolves, he had been slowly trying to take over because he felt he was the only one competent enough to do so.

Felicita groaned and rolled off of her bed. She couldn't sit still. She made her way over to the window and looked out briefly before opening it. She expected that it was about nightfall by now, not that the sky outside told her much. It was cool and a little windy. She rested her elbows on the windowsill to prop her head up and just stared outside for a while. The scenery was eerily depressing. Everything just looked so _dead. _

Then something black passed in front of her face. _What was that? _She looked around. Nothing seemed to be there. She stared out, feeling slightly uneasy. Her hand had just laid on the hilt of her knife when someone grabbed her from behind. With one swift movement, her arms were pinned to her sides and a hand was clamped over her mouth before she could scream. She began to struggle, but the person behind her barely budged. Felicita stamped on his foot. There was a quiet "ow" and he let her go. Felicita turned around and was going to attack him until she realized who it was. She sighed and said "Kirito, what the hell! You scared me."

The black-haired swordsman hopped on one foot for a bit before he stood and looked at her with a smile. "I was bored, and doing that just seemed fun."

She punched him on the arm as she passed him and leaned against the door. Her listening skill was high enough for her to hear anyone if they were outside the door or in the hallway. Now, all she heard was silence.

The girl turned to her friend. "What are you doing in here?"

He was rubbing the spot where she had punched him as he answered. "Well I was watching from outside. Then I saw you open a window and I decided to come in for a visit."

She just looked at him. "Why, so you could borrow some sugar?" Their behavior was probably a little too light for the situation, considering they were in a criminal hideout.

"Do you know how long I've just been standing out there? It gets boring after a while you know."

"Whatever." She said in response, trying to sound annoyed. In truth, however, she was happy to see him.

Then he sat cross legged on her bed and looked at her seriously. "So how'd it go?"

She sighed. "You really do have a habit of making yourself at home you know that?" She said as she sat across from him, also cross legged.

Kirito smirked. "It's just one of the many charming aspects of my attractive personality." Felicita scoffed at that and he couldn't help but laugh a little. "Seriously though."

She looked at her lap for a few seconds before looking up at his face. "We can't talk for long ok? I don't want them to find you." He nodded in understanding and she continued. "So far, being in the Laughing Coffin guild sucks."

"Really?" Kirito asked sarcastically.

She ignored his comment. "Apparently, I have to prove myself to them before I can join. It was almost like talking to Heathcliff all over again." She sighed. "They want me to kill Toma tomorrow, and they're going to watch. He's the leader of the squad in the KoB that takes care of Aincrad's criminal underground."

Kirito stared at her. "Toma? But . . ."

"I know. He was my guild mate at one point and, not that I would kill him if he weren't, I can't kill him. I'm not a murderer, Kirito-kun. I've always been resolved to never kill."

"I know." He said. She gave him a half smile in return. Then he put his hand to his chin while his other hand went to his elbow. "This is a problem, Fel. We planned to avoid killing anyone, and now that it seems inevitable in order to join the guild, we may have to bail."

Felicita shook her head vigorously. "No! We can't back out now. If I don't do this then I can't go to work for the KoB, not that that sounds any fun, but I want to make up for my mistakes."

The boy stared at her for a moment. She looked so determined, he couldn't just deny her what she was striving for. He sighed. "Yeah, I know. Then we need to find a way to go around this." They thought for a moment. "Do you think they would let you change your assignment?"

The girl shook her head. "I have a feeling that if I try to get out of it or don't accept, they won't take it lightly."

Kirito nodded in understanding. He thought that was the case. They sat in silence for a moment, thinking. How could they avoid this? LC members would be there watching her, so they would know if she didn't kill Toma. And if she tried to spare him, they would either make her kill him then kill her or finish him off themselves and then kill her. They would only be satisfied if he shattered into pixels and disappeared.

Felicita gasped so suddenly that Kirito almost fell backward in surprise. "What, what is it?" He asked her urgently.

She was smiling and bouncing excitedly. "I got it!" She said as quietly as she could with excitement bubbling out of her.

"Got what?"

Suddenly she was on her knees in front of him and shaking him by his shoulders. "It's genius!"

"What is?!"

She shook him hard before letting go. This time he did fall backward and grunted as he almost fell off of the bed.

Felicita sat back on her calves, trying to calm down. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Kirito said as he sat back up. "Just tell me what you came up with."

"Ok." Felicita said before taking in a breath and continuing. "They'll only be happy if he's dead right?" Kirito nodded. "Well what if they only _think _he's dead." Kirito just tilted his head to the side questioningly. Felicita sighed. "Baka." She muttered before continuing. "Remember the 'murders in the safe zone?'" She asked.

Kirito's eyes widened. "Fel . . . that's brilliant."

"Yes, I know." She said with a smirk. "We'll use the same technique and make Toma use a teleport crystal just before his armor's durability wears out. Then he'll shatter and it will look like he died."

"This could work." Kirito marveled.

"Yup. But we obviously need to get Toma in on it." The problem was getting that detail sorted out.

"Hm. I would go sort it out myself, but I can't leave you here . . . I guess I could message Asuna and she could take care of it."

Felicita nodded. "It may be best that she handles it anyway."

Kirito raised an eyebrow at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that no one listens to you." He gaped at her. "Kirito-kun, let's face it. You're a shady character. No one would be easy about listening to you if they just met you."

He made an annoyed grunting sound. He stood up then. "Ok. I'll message Asuna then. I'll get you out of here though if it doesn't work out."

Felicita nodded. "Ok. See ya, Kirito-kun."

Kirito crouched on the windowsill. "You won't see me, but I'll see you."

"Stalker." Felicita shot at him.

He looked back at her. "Hey, I stalk you because I care." He said in a mock stern voice. Then he was gone.

Felicita went up to the window and looked out of it. She was so glad they had figured out a plan. Hopefully it would work too. She wasn't looking forward to killing people. She went back to the bed, deciding that she should try to sleep for tomorrow. After taking off her cloak and light armor, leaving her gray shirt, and black pants, Felicita climbed into bed. She kept one knife strapped to her thigh and held the other one in her hand under her pillow, just in case. Not long after, she fell asleep.

* * *

Asuna walked through the doors to her guild's HQ, not feeling very happy. She did not like the fact that she had been woken up about ten minutes ago by a message from Kirito, and even though it had contained a favor from Felicita, she was still tired and slightly irritated. It was nearly midnight after all!

The long-haired girl made her way through hallways and toward Commander Heathcliff's "office." She had messaged him earlier, requesting an emergency audience and he had replied almost immediately, telling her to meet him at HQ.

The contents of Kirito's message swirled in Asuna's head. He had described things briefly, but she got the gist of it. Laughing Coffin wouldn't let Felicita join until she killed Toma, a fellow Knight of the Blood Oath. From what she could understand, Asuna knew that Kirito and Felicita planned to use the same plan Yoriko and Keins had in the safe zone to make LC only think that he was dead. She had to admit, it was a really ingenious plan.

Asuna didn't particularly like Toma, he was a little too arrogant for her taste, but she did respect him. He was a very skilled fighter and strategist. That would have meant trouble for anyone that went up against him. But Asuna knew, from her fight with the little Shadow Thief, that Felicita could handle herself, even if Toma didn't hold back, which he probably wouldn't. To pull off the plan, he and Felicita would have to fight and make it look convincing, but Asuna wasn't too worried. As long as Heathcliff approved of the plan, and Toma played along, everything would turn out fine.

The Lightning Flash opened the large doors into the room where her commander was waiting. She walked in and stood several yards from the large desk in the center of the room. Just behind the desk, she could see the man she was looking for.

Asuna stood up straight. "Commander."

"Asuna." Heathcliff addressed back. "It's always a pleasure to see you. Now, what was it you urgently needed to talk about? You were dismissed hours ago, you wouldn't contact me afterword unless you needed to discuss something important."

Asuna nodded. "It is sir. This pertains to Felicita's assignment."

"The Shadow Thief." Heathcliff said thoughtfully. "Go on."

"I received a message not long ago from Kirito. Laughing Coffin will only accept her if she kills Toma as a sort of initiation."

Heathcliff raised an eyebrow. "You got this from Kirito?"

Asuna mentally slapped herself. She hadn't meant to let it slip that Kirito was helping Felicita. _See, Kirito? That's what happens when you wake me up in the middle of the night to do a favor for you!_

Heathcliff seemed to hear her thoughts. "Don't worry. There were reports that he was following her as she went with the Laughing Coffin members. I suspected he was involved in some way. However, I've decided to overlook him. I did tell Felicita that no one from the guild could help her. As long as Kirito doesn't directly interfere, I will let his involvement slide." Asuna sighed in relief. "Now, about Toma, you know that we cannot let him be killed. He is a very skilled member of our guild."

The girl in front of him nodded. "I am aware as are Kirito and Felicita. Felicita doesn't plan to back out though. She created a plan." Heathcliff listened intently as she continued. "I know that you are aware of what happened last month, commander, with the 'murders in the safe zone.' Felicita proposed that we use the same method with teleport crystals and armor durability to make it look as though Toma died. Afterword, he will have to lay low until this matter with Laughing Coffin is resolved, but it should fool them."

The commander of the KoB looked at his second-in-command thoughtfully. "That's a very interesting plan. And you say Felicita thought of it?"

"Yes sir."

He thought for a moment. "I approve. Originally, I had planned to just watch, but this matter is unavoidable. I will have to make an exception. It will help us eliminate the largest murder guild in Aincrad in the end. I will contact Toma immediately and make him aware of the situation. Everything should be in place by tomorrow. If that is all, Asuna, you are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Asuna said in relief before turning and leaving the room. She had to message Kirito.

* * *

Felicita now stood in a forest somewhere on Floor 40. Her short sword was drawn and she stood in a fighting position, facing Toma.

The LC members had questioned her weapon choice, as it deviated from her signature style, but she briefly explained it was a sentimentality of hers and they left her alone.

The former thief and her band of four LC members found Toma not too long ago. It was about noon and the three KoB members that were with Toma earlier were now dead . . . or at least appeared to be. Apparently, Toma and a group of others did a regular sweep of this area every day at different times, and all his attackers had to do was wait for him to show up. They had been waiting all morning and now they finally got what they wanted.

The LC members and Kirito, who was hidden in a tree, now stood behind Felicita and watched her as her fight with Toma was about to begin.

Toma stood and faced the girl, his lance drawn and a surprised look on his face. He had heard from Commander Heathcliff what was going on and what to do, but he _had not _known that the one who was supposed to kill him was _this _girl. The last time he had seen her, it had been a year ago and he had left his first guild, telling all of the members that they were weak.

Now, they stood, weapons drawn. The two glared at each other. Toma was planning on going easy so that it would actually look like Felicita won. Felicita on the other hand was planning on kicking his ass. She knew that the plan was to only make it look like she won, but she wanted to win in reality and prove to Toma that she wasn't as weak as he believed she would always be. She wouldn't kill him, but she'd beat the crap out of him.

They stood in tense silence for a moment, before Felicita dashed forward. Her sword was trailing behind her slightly, and Toma put his lance up to block the blow. He was surprised by her speed and even more surprised when she rolled under his lance and slashed at his side before springing back up again and charging. She was a lot stronger than he thought she would be, so he decided to step up his game.

He pulled his lance back, activating a sword skill and it stabbed at her as she came near. She crouched, making the attack that was designed to impale her only graze her shoulder. She rolled again and came up behind him. He turned, but not in time to see her jump into the air above him. She slashed at his head and he put his lance up to parry, but he didn't do it fast enough and he only diverted the blow and it grazed his forearm.

Felicita put her hand out so that it hit the ground first and she pushed off, twisting in midair and landing in a crouch, skidding across the dirt. She quickly dashed forward. Her strategy was to attack at as close a range as possible. The lance was a long range weapon for the most part, and close range attacks were difficult to pull off with it. Attacking close range was her best bet.

The girl held her sword across her body, keeping it horizontal to herself. That activated a sword skill and her weapon glowed light purple. Her body spun in a three-sixty, causing her sword to slash at Toma twice. The first slash knocked his lance away as he tried to block her and the second slash cut across his chest.

He stumbled back slightly and Felicita did a sweeping kick. He fell over sideways and Felicita stabbed at his head. Toma quickly rolled away and stood up, lance pointed at his opponent. Said opponent quickly dashed forward. She spun and slashed faster, wanting to overwhelm him. Toma blocked the majority of her attacks, but he couldn't see an opportunity to counter. He only noticed how difficult it was becoming to block as Felicita began to attack faster, she was a blur. It wasn't hard to make the fight look convincing. That was because it was already real.

Their small audience was silent, and just watched, slightly impressed. Kirito was silently cheering for his friend. From what he had heard about Toma, Kirito didn't like the guy very much. He had been a jerk to Felicita and the Timber Wolves and now Felicita was _winning _in a fight against him. He could tell that neither fighter was holding back and that this fight was real.

Finally, Toma tripped Felicita off balance and stabbed her in the shoulder. Not that that did much. Her HP was at half while his was almost gone. Felicita smirked, despite the sharp object that was impaled in her arm. She slashed upward and the lance flew away. Toma looked stunned. The small girl quickly slipped around him and braced her foot at his heel. She pulled him backward and he tripped falling onto his back. With no weapon to stop her, Felicita stabbed her sword into his chest. He laid there for only a few seconds before he shattered and disappeared into the air.

In his tree, Kirito pumped his fist. He felt proud of his friend. Not long after, he received a message from Asuna saying that Toma and his group had arrived at the KoB HQ safely. He looked down at Felicita. They could just see each other thanks to his hiding skill and her search skill. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. They had done it. She was in.

**A/N: Bam! There it is. What are your thoughts? Please share them with me! So long as they are about my story and my writing. If it is about anything creepy, keep that to yourself. I feel like this chapter could have been a little better, but I don't really know how to satisfy my un-satisfaction. Oh, almost forgot. I now have a one-shot (kinda) on FMA (Fullmetal Alchemist) up so if you guys are into that fandom please check that out for me! Love you guys, thanks for all the support thus far. Peace out.**


	16. Chapter 16: Inside Laughing Coffin Part1

Chapter 16: Inside Laughing Coffin Part 1

**A/N: I am so sorry! This update came later than I said it would. I blame writer's block. It was legit, people! It was the only thing causing delays this time, I swear! Well, I know that you want to read so I will stop for now.**

2024/05/08

Despite it being the end of spring, it was a very chilly day for Felicita as she walked through the coniferous forest on Floor 13. It was a very mountainous area, and the current location of Laughing Coffin's HQ.

It has been about a month since Felicita slipped her way into their ranks and began leaking information to the KoB. She was able to find out many things during that time. For one, not all of the LC guild's members were psychopaths. Surprisingly, some of their members seemed normal. Also, LC didn't stay in one place for very long. Their hideout was moving every other week, once a month if they believed it was safe enough, and they always stayed on the lower, less populated floors. Just recently, they had moved to this floor. They were currently staying in an abandoned castle on one of the tallest mountains on the floor. It used to be a dungeon, but as long as someone stayed inside, mobs wouldn't re-spawn.

Felicita was now walking to her rendezvous point with the KoB. She met with them about every few days to give a report. She couldn't risk going to their headquarters, it was too far away and it would be noticed if she were gone for too long. She was lucky enough to get this small amount of time to sneak off.

The sky was cloudy and it was a little windy, a few flurries of snow flew by every now and then. Felicita pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she walked along. She was almost to her destination now, just a few more minutes.

Suddenly, Felicita's detection skill went off. She whirled around, her heart pounding as she glared in the direction she had come from. Nothing was there and her detection skill wasn't going off anymore. Of course, it could be someone with a high hiding skill. Then again, it could just be her paranoia . . . but still.

Felicita turned back around . . . and seemed to jump ten feet into the air as she squeaked in fright. It was a really girlish reaction and she was not very proud of it.

"What?"

Felicita's face turned red in anger, adrenaline was still pumping through her veins. "Kirito! What the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled, beating her fists onto his chest. She only cut out the "kun" part when she was angry or serious.

The swordsman just stood there, looking down at his short friend. "Is this supposed to be hurting me?"

She ignored his question. "Why do you always have to scare me when you show up?" Kirito just shrugged. The girl beat her fist on him one last time before finally giving up. "You're so mean."

"Scaring you is fun. What else am I supposed to do while I stalk you? It's more fun this way."

Felicita turned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph. For you maybe."

The boy just smiled and quickly ruffled her hair. "Come on. Let's go give a report." Then he turned and began to walk.

Begrudgingly, the girl followed him. "You mean _I _should go give a report. We both know that you don't really do anything when I give a report. You just stand there."

"Come on, Fel. Don't be like that. At least let me _feel _like I'm doing something useful."

Felicita looked up at him in alarm. "But you _are _useful. You protect me. At least . . . _I _think you're useful."

Kirito looked down at her, eyes wide. He hadn't expected her to take his comment seriously. He looked away awkwardly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, Fel . . . I didn't mean that seriously."

The girl's cheeks turned red. She had thought that he had genuinely felt like baggage. Now she realized that she had said something sappy for no reason. So, naturally, she reacted with violence.

"Ow!"

Felicita kept her head bent and walked slightly ahead so her friend couldn't see her burning cheeks. "B-Baka!"

Kirito rubbed his arm and grimaced as he continued to follow her through the forest. It was silent for a while, so he decided to look through his menu. As they walked, nothing could be heard accept the slight wind through the trees and their soft footfalls on the partially snow-covered ground. They didn't really have to worry about being snuck up on due to their high detection skills. Eventually the ground leveled out a bit and Kirito, having the feeling that they had arrived, closed his menu. That's when he noticed that Felicita had stopped walking.

He went to stand beside her. "Hey, why'd you stop?" In response, she grabbed his sleeve. He was confused, so he looked in the direction that her eyes were staring. Standing right next to a large pine tree, was Ryner.

Kirito just stared. He was surprised to see Ryner _here _of all places. But then again, it really shouldn't have been that surprising. It was not guaranteed that Felicita would meet with the same person every time she gave a report. In fact, the person she met changed more often than not. Today was the first time that Ryner had been the one to meet her.

Felicita just stared at Ryner. He hadn't noticed them yet so he was looking away. She hadn't expected it to be _him. _Of all the people that Heathcliff could send, why did it have to be _him?_ What was she supposed to say to someone she was positively sure hated her?

Kirito looked down at the small girl next to him. She noticed his movement and looked back up at him. He could see it in her eyes: she was pleading with him. Her eyes were practically screaming "Help me! What do I do?"

He couldn't ignore those eyes. But he wasn't much good when it came to talking with people, he never was, and in that moment, he kind of regretted never acquiring social skills because he wasn't able to give his friend some desperately needed advice. However, he knew that words weren't everything. Action was just as powerful, so, he said the only thing he could offer her.

"Don't worry, I'll be right here."

Felicita gave her friend a small smile. His statement gave her courage. From her months of being a solo player, she knew that just having someone there for you was enough. Sometimes, it was better than words.

The girl gave her friend's sleeve a final squeeze before letting go and clenching her fists at her sides. She opened them and closed them, trying to release the tension that was building up inside of her. Then, she took a deep breath in through her nose and carefully let it out through her mouth before walking toward her old friend, Kirito staying protectively at her shoulder.

As the two walked closer to him, Ryner looked up. He was leaning against a tree, his arms crossed. He seemed to glare at them as they approached, but with what, they couldn't tell, for his face was impossible to read. Was he looking at them with absolute hatred, anger, or just indifference?

Felicita and Kirito stopped a few feet in front of Ryner. Felicita was wringing her hands together and staring at the ground nervously while Kirito was glaring at Ryner as if to say "one wrong move and I will cut you down." Kirito had a feeling that anything could go wrong within the next few minutes. There was no telling what Ryner would do. It was possible that he could attack Felicita out of pure hatred. Emotionally driven people were not to be underestimated.

Ryner shifted slightly so that he wasn't leaning on the tree anymore. He looked at Felicita. Then he glanced at the dark-haired boy beside her before looking back at her again.

"What do you have to report?"

The petite girl winced at his formality and lack of a greeting, but composed herself and looked him in the eyes as she answered. "There isn't much but I have heard that tomorrow they plan to ambush some merchants in the dungeon of Floor 52 as they try to get monster drops to sell. Also, they're not planning on changing locations for another month."

Ryner seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding. "Is that all?"

With the information on the merchants, they would have to figure out a method to save those innocent people. In similar instances, they would warn the merchants ahead of time or advise them to bring teleport crystals. There was a whole variety to what could be done, but there was a limit. If too much info was given out and acted upon, LC would get suspicious.

Felicita nodded. "Yes."

"Very well, then." He said before starting his trek back down the mountain. Felicita didn't know how to feel about the situation. Should she be relieved that nothing bad happened or sad that nothing good happened either? She was just about to turn and make her way back to the castle when Kirito spoke up.

"That's it?" Felicita looked up at her friend while Ryner just stopped in his tracks a few yards away. Kirito looked furious, his hands clenched by his sides. "You see your friend after _seven months _of no communication at all and you can't even give a simple greeting?" They all just stood in place for a moment. "Turn around you son of a bitch."

"Kirito-kun." Felicita said, gently placing her hand on his arm. "It's ok." He looked down at her for a moment before loosening up slightly, but not without glaring at the back of Ryner's head. Ryner just stood there for a few seconds, as if he were waiting, before he began to walk again.

"Ryner, wait." He stopped again, at Felicita's voice, never turning around to face her. Felicita took a breath. "Ryner . . . I know that things between us aren't what they used to be, but I feel like we can't just throw away what we had. It was too precious. I feel the same way with Riku and Silica too and I want to fix it. Do you think . . . that maybe we could talk sometime?" She cringed, waiting for his answer. It was silent for a while, but then . . .

"Tomorrow at noon. Two miles northwest of here. Don't be late." And with that, he disappeared among the trees.

Felicita stared after him in shock. She had fully expected him to reject her.

"The nerve of that bastard." Kirito grumbled.

Felicita looked up at him. "Kirito-kun . . ."

He looked down at her, knowing that she would question his behavior. There was anger in his eyes, but she knew that it wasn't directed at her. "He has no idea what you went through."

The girl gave him a half-smile. "I know. And someday, I hope to explain it to him, to all of them, then maybe they won't hate me as much. But for now, I just have to work toward that goal." She paused before continuing. "Thank you, Kirito, for caring."

His expression softened. "Well how am I supposed to _not _care? You're huge brown eyes are always looking up at me."

Felicita couldn't help but smile at that.

* * *

The former thief now walked, on her own, out of the tree line and up to the small cliff that needed to be climbed in order to reach the walls of the castle. It would have been easier to just go around to where the drawbridge was, but if she did that, her entrance and absence would be that more apparent.

Climbing the rocks barely took her anytime at all (it was only a couple meters high), and before she knew it, she was walking around the outside of the large fortress, looking for her room's window to jump through. She was in the middle of deciding whether she would take a nap or do some more snooping, when she heard voices.

She froze, standing as still as possible and trying to make out where the voices were coming from. She crouched slightly, ready to bolt if necessary. But something was off. The voices weren't fading or drawing closer. Felicita crept along the wall, going in the direction of the voices. As they got louder, she realized that she recognized some of them.

The girl peeked around a corner and saw three people. One was shorter than the others, his back against the wall. The other two were standing over him. Normally, they would be wearing masks, but now, their masks were either put away or pushed up off their face. Felicita was thankful that she could see their faces, otherwise she would have been more intimidated and unable to identify them.

Pulling her hood up, Felicita stood up straight, drawing her knives, and (despite the small pang of fear in her chest) silently walked out from behind the corner. She walked up to the taller figures and, without breaking a stride, swiftly crouched and swept her foot across the ground, tripping one backward. Then she gracefully turned, her motions flowing together, and stabbed the other one on the shoulder with her red hilted knife.

There were a few yells and some cursing as Felicita came to stand in front of the smaller boy. She glanced back at him. "Are you ok, Ginta?" She asked him. Ginta, his eyes wide, nodded gratefully.

Felicita turned back around just as the one she tripped was getting up. "Who the hell do you think you are?" He asked angrily. He pulled out a curved, serrated knife and glared at his new enemy. Then he growled when he finally saw under her hood. "Oh, it's the Shadow Thief. What are _you_ doing here?"

"That's none of your business." She answered coldly.

"So what? You just happened to show up here?" The other asked, finally moving his hand from his burned shoulder and pulling out a cutlass.

"Everyone knows that you and your little clique cause trouble, Trey." The girl spat.

"So. You decided to watch us?" The other asked. "You can't just do whatever you want any more you little bitch. You may have scraped by as a solo player, but that doesn't mean that you're the best. You're not some big-shot. You're just another player."

"So are you." Felicita shot back. "You can't just go around harassing others."

"And who says we were doing that?"

"I just heard you demanding that Ginta hand over everything in his inventory."

"Oh, you heard that didn't you. Well, you see, he has a lot for one person. He should share with his guild."

"Ginta," Felicita asked without turning around "how did you get the items in your inventory? Were you by yourself?"

"Uh. Y-Yes." He stuttered in response.

"One of the few rules of the guild is that whatever you acquire in your own time is rightfully yours."

"So you're saying that if we kill him now, we can keep his goods?" Trey asked wryly. Felicita glared at him. She really hated these guys. Technically, killing guild members wasn't against the rules, it was actually quite common in LC.

"If you did that every time you felt like it, you would eventually kill everyone in the guild."

"But killing this boy isn't going to affect anything. He barely contributes as it is."

Felicita glanced at Ginta. He wasn't a very skilled fighter and he was a bit of a klutz, but she couldn't just let him die, she was a little fond of him. So, she just stood there, her blades at the ready.

The one she tripped sneered. "Fine, we'll just kill you too." He stepped toward her . . . and yelled in pain.

Felicita blinked. _What just happened?_ _I didn't do anything yet._

He whirled around, glaring down over the ledge, and that's when she saw the throwing needle that was sticking out of his back. "There's someone here!" He yelled angrily. He pulled his mask down over his face and pulled his hood up. "Trey, let's go!" he said before jumping down from the ledge. Trey put his mask on and pulled his hood up before following.

Felicita was confused for a minute, wondering who could have thrown the needle. Then her eyes widened in realization. "Ginta, stay here." she said urgently before launching off of the ledge and into the trees. She dashed from branch to branch, frantically searching through the pine needles. Then, without warning, she was grabbed mid-jump and pulled against a tree. There was a grunt from behind her as their body struck the trunk, cushioning her landing. An arm was circling her waist and a hand was covering her mouth.

Quickly, Felicita got off of the person and sat in front of them on the branch. "Kirito!"

Kirito rubbed the back of his head with his now free hand as he sat up. "That hurt."

"What were you thinking?" The girl whispered harshly.

The boy blinked. "I caught you because I thought you were looking for me."

"That's not what I meant." She hissed. She looked above his head at his indicator. It was red. She looked back into her friend's eyes. "Why did you do that? They know you're here now and your indicator is red!" As she finished her sentence, she swiped her hand over his head a few times for emphasis, but of course her hand just passed through the little red thing.

The swordsman just shrugged. "He was going to attack you. I was doing my job."

"But you're an orange player now! I could have handled it! "

Kirito stared at his friend. He knew that she was angry at him and felt like it was her fault that his indicator wasn't green any more. He put his hand on top of her head. "It's only for a few days. And I'll be hidden for a long time remember? So no one will see it. And, we were able to avoid a fight. What would you have done about that boy? It wasn't guaranteed that you would have been able to protect him."

Felicita sighed. "Yeah. Ok. You're right."

"Who's up there?" The two looked down. In the direction of the shout, they could just make out a figure below them.

"Stay here." Felicita said, pointing at Kirito sternly.

"Yes, mother." For that, he received a whack upside the head before Felicita jumped down from the tree. She went from branch to branch until finally, she was low enough to just catch a branch and calmly drop down.

"What are you doing?" It was the boy she tripped.

She just looked at him. "I was looking for whoever was here from the trees."

Trey appeared as he continued. "And?"

"I found him and killed him." He looked skeptical and his eyes flicked to a spot over her head. Felicita sighed. "He attacked first so my attack registered as self-defense."

"There might be more than just one."

Trey thought about it, his body language saying that he was annoyed. "Probably. We need to search the area." Then they looked at Felicita. "You got lucky, Shadow Thief." Trey spat, before he disappeared through the trees, his friend following close behind him. They probably would have tried to fight her, but security was more important.

The girl stood there as she watched them go, then sighed in relief when they were out of range of her detection skill. She glanced up at the tree, knowing that Kirito was still up there, she could just make out his presence. She stuck her tongue at him and sensed more than saw him chuckle to himself. Then she turned and made her way back to the castle.

When she reached the spot she had left from, she easily climbed up and crouched on the edge before walking up to Ginta, who had stayed where she left him.

He looked at her apprehensively. "S-So, what happened?"

"Don't worry. I got the guy."

Ginta nodded. "And what about . . .?" He didn't finish, but she knew who he meant.

"They went to make sure he was the only one, so they should leave you alone for now."

He smiled weakly. "That's good."

Felicita looked at him pensively. "You shouldn't let them push you around like that."

He looked at the ground. "They're so much stronger than me. I-I can't-."

"You can get stronger if you just train. And even if you're at a lower level than they are, you still have one thing that they don't." He looked confused so she tapped her temple. "Brains." He gave a timid smile. Felicita smirked. "Come on. Let's go." With that, she put a hand on his shoulder and walked with him in the direction of the front entrance.

* * *

The next day, Felicita was hiking down the mountain. She was so engrossed in thought that she didn't notice when Kirito suddenly appeared next to her. He glanced at her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She was looking down at the ground and she was fingering one of the knives at her side, a nervous quirk of hers.

He lightly nudged her with his elbow. "Hey, you ok?"

"What?" She asked, her head perking up slightly. "Oh. I'm fine."

"Your voice is shaking."

She grimaced. "Really?" He nodded. "Ugh. I'm just . . . kinda scared . . . and nervous."

He placed a hand on her head. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Just stay calm and don't use violence . . . or cuss him out, and you should be good."

"Aw. But you're basically telling me not to be myself." He looked at her sternly. She sighed. "Fine." It was quiet for a moment as they jumped down from a particularly large rock. "Hey, uh, Kirito-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Can you . . . _not_ come with me to meet him?"

He looked at her sharply. "What?"

She winced. "I think it would be better if you aren't there with me. Yesterday, you two weren't exactly friendly with each other."

"But what if he attacks you?"

She pointed at him sternly. "Hey, don't insult my skills."

His eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him, noticing the dangerous look in her eyes. "Uh, I didn't mean that. I just meant that we don't know what he's going to do."

Felicita put her hands on her hips. "Your job is to protect me while I'm on my mission. This is a personal matter, something I need to deal with on my own."

He took a breath to protest, but stopped when he saw the determination in her eyes. He sighed in defeat. "Ok. But what happens if you need my help?"

She smirked. "I'll just run into the forest, screaming."

Kirito laughed. "You do that." Then he seemed to think of something. "Wait, what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

Felicita still smirked as she answered him. "Go on a date with Asuna."

She spoke so quietly that Kirito almost didn't catch what she said. He blushed slightly. "What?"

The small girl beside him walked backwards so they could face each other. "Nothing. It's probably a bad idea anyway. If she sees you with that indicator she'll flip out." She grinned. "Just be a good Kirito and wait in a tree until I get back ok?" She reached her hand up and pat his head several times, almost like how he does to her. He grunted in annoyance, a slight blush still on his face, as they continued to walk.

It was quiet the rest of the way. For Felicita, it was an amusing silence while for her friend clad in black it was a little awkward. Then, in what seemed like no time at all for the former, they arrived. There was a small clearing where the ground was a little steep. It was empty, except for a fallen tree in the center.

Felicita focused on the clock that was in the corner of her vision. It was 11:56. "I'm early."

"Do you want me to wait with you?"

Felicita shook her head. "No. It's fine. He'll be here soon." She made a little shooing motion with her hand. "Go on little monkey. Go hide in a tree."

"Monkey?"

She shoved his shoulder playfully. "Go."

He glanced at her sideways before doing as she said.

Felicita smiled before looking at the clearing. She sighed and made her way to the log. She took a seat and stared up at the sky. She was glad that there was a log to sit on, if she had to stay standing she didn't think that her legs would be able to support her. Thoughts swirled through her head as she sat there, Kirito no longer there to distract her from her anxiety. _What should I say? _She tried to get her thoughts together, but in the end she was unsuccessful.

There was a tentative tap on her shoulder. Felicita looked up. Ryner was standing there a little awkwardly, clad in red and white.

"Ryner." The girl said, slightly surprised. A small part of her didn't think he would show up.

". . . Hello."

"Uh. H-Hi." She greeted back. He stood there for a moment before sitting down on the fallen pine, a large space between them.

It was silent for a minute. "So, your boyfriend didn't come with you?"

The girl's face blushed furiously. She waved her hands in front of her. "Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not-I mean, he's not my boyfriend." She said hurriedly.

He gave her a look. "Really? He seems so protective of you."

She looked down at the ground, trying to hide her blush. "W-We're just good friends. He's like my brother."

"Oh. That's nice." It was quiet for a minute. "So you've moved on from us."

Felicita looked at him. "No. I still think about you guys a lot." Her hands were gripped tightly in her lap.

". . . So, you said that you wanted to fix things?"

She collected her thoughts, taking a breath. "Yes. Our guild was probably the best thing that ever happened for me. You guys were my family. That's what I meant by what we had being precious and I don't want to just throw that away . . . I know that I screwed up, and I hope that I can get our relationship to the point where we can be that way again . . . but if you don't want to, I understand."

It was quiet for a while, Felicita anxiously awaiting a response and Ryner thinking her words over. "You seem genuinely sorry." He said after a while. Then he looked at her. "Before we make any progress, I want to know something." He paused, as if psyching himself up. "How exactly did Kinade die?" Felicita stared at him, eyes wide. "I realize that I never let you explain that. So I want you to say now what you would have said to me then."

They just stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Felicita looked down at the ground. "Alright. That's fair." And so, she told him the story of her older sister's death. As she spoke, he listened intently, his eyes never leaving her face. Near the end of her story, a tear unwillingly slipped down Felicita's cheek. She hurriedly wiped it away as she finished.

It was silent for a long time. Each person deep in thought. Then, Ryner spoke.

He smiled a little. "That's just like her, saving you even though you were in a fight." Felicita smiled too and nodded. There was another pause before Ryner spoke again. "You know, all this time, I fully believed that I hated you." There was a short pause. "And now that I've finally confronted you about it, I realize that I never did."

Felicita looked up at him. "What?" There was a gentle smile on his face. "But-but what about Seiji? I killed him!"

Ryner shook his head. "No. You didn't." He looked at the ground in front of him and sighed. "I never really took Kinade's side on the matter, I just wanted to believe that I had. That could have happened to any of us that night. Any one of us could have taken Seiji out, not knowing that he would die. How could it have been your fault? You didn't know. None of us had." He lifted his head to watch the trees as they swayed. "Besides, you could say that it was our fault too." He glanced at her and she seemed confused so he explained. "It was your birthday the next day, right? We had planned on throwing you a surprise party. It was Kinade's idea. Seiji was supposed to distract you while we set up."

Felicita's throat felt constricted so she stayed silent.

"And then, when Kinade died . . . it wasn't entirely your fault either. I still think that you shouldn't have gone off on your own, but Kinade _chose _to go after you. Then she chose to sacrifice herself to save you. It was far from murder."

Felicita stared at him in shock. "You really think that?" She choked out.

He nodded. "I've had seven months to think about it. I realize that the things I said . . . the _opinions _I had, were all influenced by my feelings toward Kinade. I loved her, so I wanted to take her side, no matter how irrational that was." He looked at the cloaked girl beside him. "I shouldn't have said those things to you, and I shouldn't have left you alone after their deaths either. That must have been hard to watch."

The petite girl looked at the ground. She could only nod.

"And what you went through afterword . . . Yesterday, after I left, I heard a little bit about what happened and what you're trying to do now from Asuna. I'm sorry. About everything."

"I-It's ok. You didn't know."

"But that's the thing." He stood up and walked to stand beside her. "I _didn't_ know. It was different from Seiji and Kinade. You were still alive, and I did nothing." He stuck his hand out to her. "Can you forgive me? Can we become friends again?"

Felicita looked at his hand, then smiled at him and took it. "I'd like that." They shook and Ryner smiled broadly.

"Great." They let go. "I think I should get going now. We both have work to do."

"Yeah. That's a good idea."

Ryner began to walk away and waved. "Well then, I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Felicita said as she waved and watched as he disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Kirito sat impatiently in a tree, fingering the blade of his sword. Felicita had been gone for a while now and he was starting to worry. He was just about ready to get down and check on her when he saw her walking near his tree. He quickly sheathed his sword, jumped down, and ran up to meet her.

"How'd it go?" He asked. Then he saw the tears in her eyes and immediately felt murderous. "What did he do?"

Felicita wiped at her eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "Nothing. Well, not really nothing. I'm sorry. I'm just crying because it went well."

He could hear joy in her voice as she cried. He couldn't help but smile as he laid a hand on her head. Things were really turning around for her. "I'm glad."

**A/N: Sorry again for lateness. I know how annoying that can be. Hopefully next chapter will come earlier than this one did. Now, I have a question, did I end this chapter well? I'm not all that good with touchy-feely stuff so please give me some feedback. As I know you have noticed, this chapter is a "part 1." I don't want to rush the plot, so I will give you this chapter and the next one just so you know how things went for Felicita while she's sneaking around Laughing Coffin. Just in case you were wondering, timeline wise in relation to the anime, this whole thing with Laughing Coffin takes place between the episode with the safe zone murders and Kirito's quest with Lisbeth. Also, if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask. As long as they aren't spoiler-ish I will answer you gladly. This goes for all of my stories. Well, thanks for reading. See ya next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17: Inside Laughing Coffin Part2

Chapter 17: Inside Laughing Coffin Part 2

**A/N: I . . . am a horrible human being. It's been what like a month since my last update? I deeply apologize. I meant to post last week but I have legit excuses. Firstly, school started last week. We all know the importance of education and how time consuming it can be. Then, last weekend, there was a storm. Said storm cut the power at my house which screwed up the internet. AND THEN, some trees were knocked down in my yard. They destroyed a section of our fence and blocked our driveway. SO, I got to help clear that up . . . IN THE RAIN! AND guess what. We're not even done yet! So yeah, the past week has been interesting. I will try to do better time wise with my next chapter but . . . we'll see. Anyway, this chapter is kinda just a filler but there is some important stuff in it too. Hope you enjoy!**

2025/05/16 _(elapsed time: about 1 week)_

It was after sundown in the vast, mountainous landscape of the thirteenth floor. Shadows could barely be told apart from the darkness of night. A small amount of light emanated from the smaller castle in the mountains. It spilled out of the windows and into the eerie gloom outside. Inside was no different. Sconces lined the hallways, barely giving enough light for the average player to see three feet in front of them. A particular, small shadow flicked across a wall before quickly disappearing. It would have been impossible to notice unless one was looking for it and their search skill was high, but even then it would have looked like a trick of the mind or the flickering of a candle.

The cloaked figure of a girl was responsible for this shadow, slinking through the darkness, undetected even by the well experienced criminals that resided in that medieval castle. Of course, that was due to her many months of soloing and thieving, not many could compare with her skill. And that was a good thing considering what she was doing at that moment.

Felicita did not just skip around the castle, obediently doing whatever she was told without question. Sure she made it _look _that way, and sure she sent word to the KoB what Laughing Coffin told her, but she was the Shadow Thief. She could do better than that.

The girl cloaked in gray crept along the wall, looking around corners before slipping around them and continuing on her way. Her hood was up and a mask was on her face. This mask she had gotten not long after joining the infamous murder guild. She didn't like it very much, it was sinister looking and not her style, but it did a good job of hiding her identity.

Tonight, she was going somewhere she had never been before. It took her a month to gain any relevant information about it, but she had finally obtained what she was searching for and was both excited and frightened to finally go there. This particular place was below the castle, underground along with other secret rooms and tunnels that only longstanding members were privileged to _know _about. Even then, they had to be extremely trusted by the leader of the LC guild just to _get into_ the place, for this was where he and his elite lived. This wasn't common knowledge. It was generally known that this group of players lived in the castle, all members did. It just wasn't known _where._

Water dripped down from the ceiling every few steps that the former thief took. Thin, white veins that resembled niter crisscrossed the gray, brick walls, forming minute rivers. The air was stale, as if mold and stagnant water were abundant. Dim torches hung from the walls, casting as much light as the sconces in the castle above ground did, if not, less. This environment was very well done considering that it was only virtual.

It was eerily silent, as if something were just eagerly waiting to jump out and attack whoever came near, driven with an insatiable bloodlust . . .

_What the hell? _Felicita thought as she crept along. _Why am I thinking so morbidly? Ugh! I've been here too long. Kirito needs to do a better job of keeping my sanity intact. _As she thought this, she peeked around a corner before slinking around it and continuing down the seemingly endless hallway. _I'll complain to him later. I need to focus right now . . . Where is that damn door? I've barely seen any since finding my way down here. _Felicita glanced around before swiping her left hand in front of her and accessing her menu. She pulled up a map and studied it briefly. So far, all she had been able to map was a labyrinthine maze. _Where could it be?_

Felicita's head jerked up, her heart racing and her knives glinting in her grasp when just a moment before they were sheathed. Something had triggered her detection skill. She could just see a figure in the darkness in front of her as she stared in the direction her virtual sense told her too. Then, something _did _jump out at her.

It was a small creature, surprisingly shorter than the girl it was attacking. It had sickly, grayish-dark green skin and red eyes. Long fangs extended from under its upper lip to just below its jaw. It slouched over, appearing to be hunchbacked. It had spindly limbs that ended in three clawed appendages, the joints bulged, and the arms were longer than the legs. Small pointed ears jutted out of its head. This was SAO's version of a goblin.

Felicita screamed. The goblin leapt at her, its clawed hands extended for her throat. The girl rolled under it and came to crouch behind it. It hissed loudly and pounced at her again. This time, she was prepared. As the creature growled in midair, Felicita dashed passed it. Due to the system, she seemed to disappear from her spot and reappear behind the beast. Felicita's silver knives were brandished by her sides, as if she had just slashed something with them. Just as she appeared, the goblin's head was cut clean off. Red light spewed from its supposed wounds instead of blood. The head flew into the air and rolled beside Felicita just as the body collapsed. A span of a few seconds passed before both head and body shattered into little polygons and dissipated into the air.

The petite girl straightened out of her fighting stance, sliding her knives where they belonged at her thighs. Then, without warning, her legs refused to support her. She fell against the wall, her hand and shoulder bracing her weight. Then her back pressed against the surface and Felicita slid to the floor, her arms holding her knees to her chest and her head bent. She was panting, but not from exhaustion.

Adrenaline coursed through Felicita's veins as she tried to calm herself down. Goblins weren't like some of the other mobs in SAO. They appeared on almost every floor, in dark, dank places like caves. They were devious creatures and had a habit of appearing when least expected. If a player wasn't paying attention, they would most likely die before they knew what hit them. On top of that, they resembled a grotesque freak from hell. They scared people, especially those who were like Felicita.

Her head went to rest against the wall as she pushed her mask up and away from her face, her breathing definitely more even now. She hated it, the feeling that she felt in her chest every day. Whether she was sneaking around or not, she felt it: fear. It took hold of her no matter how much she tried to get rid of it.

Felicita carefully got to her feet and put her mask back on, deciding that it was best that she moved onward. If one goblin had shown up, more were bound to be close by. She wasn't sure what that meant though. If the goblins spawned, then the tunnels must have been empty for some time. Where were the guild members?

She began to walk, more cautiously than before, through the darkness. Then, she turned a corner and was surprised to be met by a large set of wooden doors. It was the first she had seen in an hour, hopefully it was what she was looking for. Felicita went up to it, her small form crouched against the wood surface. Laying her head against it, Felicita strained to hear anything. She did this with all of the doors she came across, her listening skill was high enough to hear through doors without knocking, and so far, she hasn't heard a single word in this place.

To her greater surprise, the former thief could hear voices. They were muffled at first, as if she were hearing them from underwater, but after a few seconds, the voices became clear, like she was in the room.

"Why do we have to put up with that bitch?" Felicita was pretty sure that she didn't know the person who spoke, but she felt like she had heard his voice somewhere before.

"Calm down." The leader of the Laughing Coffin guild, Kuroshida, said in reply. Felicita had only seen him a few times and talked to him even less than that. He was a tall, slender man, with a voice that flowed like running water. She never saw his face but she could tell that he smiled a lot . . . especially when killing people. He was very skilled with an ax and killed anyone he deemed to be a threat to their guild. In other words, he was scary as hell.

"We have already had this discussion." Kuroshida continued calmly. "She has skills that could be useful."

"Like she would help us anyway. If she knew-!"

"Exactly." Kuroshida cut him off. "_If _she knew. But she doesn't and, as long as she is kept in the dark, she will do what we ask. We were able to convince her to join us were we not?"

There was a short pause before there was a "yes sir" and then silence.

Felicita had the sinking feeling that they had been talking about her. Most of the Laughing Coffin members were not fans of hers. They resented her for her skill and Kuroshida's obvious favoritism for her.

Then, she heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door. She was a little startled, but in her head she knew that she wouldn't have been able to stay long. The players who hid down here had skill stats that almost rivaled hers. That included search and detection. And even though she had her mask on to hide her face, that would only momentarily keep her anonymous. Her cloak and knives would easily give away her identity.

Before the door could open, Felicita fled through the tunnels, as silent as a shadow.

* * *

2025/05/22

Several days later, Felicita was sitting on the ground, her back against a tree. She had just come back from staging about five different people's deaths and she was exhausted. Today wasn't a 'report giving day' but sometimes Felicita just felt like she needed to take a break from being in a murder guild.

Suddenly, a throwing needle landed in the dirt next to her. She stared at it for a second before looking up and seeing a figure clad in black jump down in front of her. Kirito stood there for a second before lifting his hand up in a short wave. "Hey."

Felicita looked up at her friend. Then she lifted her hand in a similar fashion. "Hi, Kirito-kun." She had finally gotten used to his sudden appearances.

He sat down beside her. "Are you ok? You look a little worn out."

The girl sighed and tiredly rested her head against his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm just tired."

Kirito looked at her face. It was dull and not as lively as it should have been. He frowned slightly. He could tell that the job was getting to her. The stress and the constant fear he knew she was feeling everyday were a big part of it.

He sat back against the tree. "Hey, Fel?"

"Hm?" The girl lifted her head to look at him, expecting him to try and talk her into quitting this job because it was bad for her health, yadda, yadda, yadda.

He looked her in the eyes. " . . . Do you have any food?"

The girl stared at him for a few seconds. Then, she flicked him on the head. There was a loud "ow" as Felicita began to laugh.

"I thought you were going to say something more intelligent! Baka." She chastised. Then, she opened her menu and pulled out some food for him and a trading menu. Even though she had called him an idiot, Felicita could empathize with what he was feeling. Eating was not a necessity in this world, one could go without it if they had the willpower. Hunger was more of a nagging feeling that would never go away unless you ate something, and when you didn't, it just grew stronger. Kirito couldn't get his own food in this situation and by now he probably didn't have any more. Felicita herself had to go through a time when food was scarce for her and she had starved for quite some time.

Kirito massaged his head where it had been flicked as he took the bread from her hands and accepted the items in the trade menu that appeared in front of him. "Thanks."

"No problem, Kirito-kun." The girl beside him chirped. Then she saw the screen that had popped up in front of her. "Hey! You didn't have to pay me for it."

The swordsman shrugged. "Just take it. I have more money than I know what to do with right now."

"You idiot, don't you know that saying 'don't spend all your money in one place?'"

"Uh. Yeah. What about it?"

She smacked the back of his head. "Baka." She said again as she hit the accept button. Hey, it's free money. As a thief she learned to take advantage of these kinds of things.

Then, she took out a piece of bread for herself and the two of them sat there, eating in content silence. After a while, Felicita finished her bread, stood up and stretched. "Well, I think I'll be going now."

Kirito looked up at her. "Ok. See you."

"Bye." The girl said with a small wave before turning.

"Hey, Fel?"

Said girl turned around again. "No I will not give you more food." Kirito just raised an eyebrow as she smirked at him.

". . . Be careful. Ok?"

"Aren't I always?"

"No."

She smiled at him. Then, she walked over and ruffled his hair. "I will." As if he were annoyed, Kirito swatted her hand away and smoothed his hair down.

"Bye, Kirito-kun!" Felicita waved again, this time more cheerfully and walked to the seemingly abandoned castle.

Now, she was walking through the halls of Laughing Coffin's HQ, feeling a little lighter than usual. Hanging out with Kirito did that to her. It seemed to put her at ease. It reminded her of times she had before SAO when she and her sister would spend every second possible with each other. They wouldn't necessarily _do_ anything, but most of the time they would just _be _together and enjoy each other's company. Of course, Kirito could never _replace _Honoka. That was a fact, they were two different people and Felicita could never forget her only sister. But at least something could slightly fill the void that ached in her chest. And now that Felicita was on good terms with Ryner again, everything was even better.

Her light-feeling quickly vanished, however, when she entered the castle and turned a corner into a hallway. With no warning at all, she was slammed into a wall. _So much for being careful. _She felt a hand clench in the front of her cloak and something cold on her neck. She opened her eyes to be greeted by the signature mask of the Laughing Coffin guild. Her hand quickly went to the handle of one of her knives.

"Draw your weapon and you die right here!" The figure in front of her hissed. She recognized his voice and put her hands up in a placating fashion. This was the guy that she had heard talking to Kuroshida a few days ago.

That's when she realized where she had heard his voice before. She had seen him around the guild, obviously, but he never took his mask off. She only knew who he was by his voice. Furthermore, she had noticed a long time ago that he seemed to be watching her wherever she went. He was her biggest concern when sneaking off to give her report. And now, here he stood, holding a knife to her throat.

She stared at his mask, almost too afraid to move. "What do you want?"

"I want to know where you keep going off to." He spat.

Felicita's heart sank. She decided to play dumb. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't act so innocent! Don't think that no one notices that you sneak off!"

"What are you going to do about it?" she challenged, then thinking a little too late that that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.

He stood there silently. That's when Felicita realized that he _couldn't _do anything. He wasn't allowed to.

He shoved her roughly against the wall before turning. "You _will _be caught. And I will make sure to be there when you do." Then, he walked down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

Felicita stood there, staring in the direction he had gone. It's funny how a single person can ruin your good mood. She sagged against the wall, aware that she had just dodged a bullet, but another was sure to come and it would be a lot harder to avoid. _Just who _is _this guy?_

**A/N: Several things I want to say: first of all, I know this chapter is shorter than usual. It was giving me problems because I was debating on what scenes to put here because of storyline and all that crap. There were others but I was not happy with them so I just went with this. I hope it was good enough. I promise that the next few chapters will be more interesting. Next, you will notice the "time elapsed" at the top. I have decided to put that in places where there have been large time gaps because someone asked that I make it easier to note how much time has passed between chapters. I understand. The date thing confuses me too sometimes. That's the way they did it in the anime and I thought it would be cool if I did it too. But yeah, and just to make it easier to understand, the date is set up as YEAR/MONTH/DAY. I'm used to the year being last but whatever. So . . . review! That's all I can really ask at this point. I assume that if you are still reading my story that you have followed and/or favorited it by now. If not . . . just don't open your closet. I may or may not be standing in there with a chainsaw . . . Well, see you next update!**

**OH! By the way, a little side note in case you poor children are deprived of decent means of getting VITAL life-or-death information . . . Did you know that there is an SAO II? That's right peoples! Sword Art Online Season 2! I'm pretty sure there are about seven episodes out right now, so if you have not seen them yet go and do so now. Your life may very well depend on it. I know that some people say that sequels are terrible but I have read the summary for this season and it looks pretty interesting.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Little Moments

Chapter 18: The Little Moments

**A/N: I know this is EXTREMELY late, but you know my usual excuses by now. The next chapter should be up in a few days though. It was supposed to be part of this chapter but it was getting a little lengthy. Anyway, there is some business that I need to take care of and I want to get it out of the way before the chapter.**

**Firstly, I got a good question from Nightshade McArthur that I think deserves answering. Q: what happens when Kuradeel happens across Felicita (who he saw when he arrested her) at the LC base when he thinks she's working for the KoB? A: well, my thinking is that Kuradeel doesn't go to the LC HQ all that often while he's working undercover so he wouldn't really see Fel at all. Also, I don't think he has a high standing in the KoB so Heathcliff would not have chosen to put him into the loop about Fel's mission. He really just doesn't know how they handled her once she was captured. This goes the same way in LC as well, Kuradeel doesn't receive every single detail about everything that happens in LC while he's spying on the KoB in case he's caught. Fel wouldn't know about him being in LC either because she's new and not completely trusted yet. Hope that answered your question by the way. Thanks for it :)**

**Next, there is a poll up on my profile that EVERY one of you have no excuse to vote in. It has to do with a Felicita and Kirito pairing. This is up because i was talking to my friend (yes, I'm talking about you , Maria Penner) and she said that she wanted to ship them together. That was not my idea for this story but then I had the idea of making an AU with the same characters but a different plot where they end up together. I'm not saying that i don't like Asuna and Kirito (they are my all-time favorite pairing), but i thought that writing the AU would be interesting. So all of you please vote! And i guess if you are a guest and you really want to vote just leave it in a review.**

**Lastly, fan art. I really hate the book cover i have for this story. It looks a lot better on my camera. So if you guys are into drawing or make fan art could you make me something please? My "official ad" is on my profile, so look at it if you're interested.**

**And now here's the good part. Enjoy!**

2025/05/22

It was colder than usual that day on Floor 17, but Felicita didn't really notice her surroundings as she trudged down the mountainside. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even notice the exact moment when Kirito appeared beside her.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" The Black Swordsman asked, waving a hand in front of his friend's face.

Felicita blinked in surprise. "What?"

Kirito put a hand on his hip. "You've been staring into space for the last ten minutes. What's on your mind?"

The girl beside him was quiet for a moment. Then she sighed. "I think we're running out of time." Kirito looked at her expectantly so she went on. "One of the members knows that I sneak away from the guild every few days. I'm sure that he just notices when I'm gone but . . . I don't know."

The boy was silent for a few moments, deep in his own thoughts. Finally, he spoke. "We were lucky to even make it _this_ far." He turned to look at her. "You should be proud."

"But, Kirito, I haven't finished yet! I told Heathcliff that I would help to _destroy _the Laughing Coffin guild, not just _weaken_ it." It was silent as he thought again. He was just about to say something when a voice cut him off.

"Hey guys."

The two solo players looked up, utterly confused.

Kirito was able to speak first. " . . . Oh. Hey . . . Asuna."

The Lightning Flash put her hands on her hips. "What? Are you not happy to see me Mr. Solo-Player?"

He scratched his cheek with a finger while avoiding her gaze. "Um . . . no. That's not—."

"Tell me, Felicita, is that what this is?"

The short-haired girl looked from Asuna to the boy next to her and back again. "Yes."

"Fel!" Kirito protested, whipping his head around to look at the girl. That's when he noticed the silver rapier pointed at his throat. Slowly, he turned his head to look at the smirking second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath. And just as slowly, he put his hands up in surrender.

". . ."

"I'm happy to see you, Asuna."

Satisfied, Asuna sheathed her weapon.

Then, Felicita spoke up. "Asuna, what are you doing here?"

The other girl blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're—," a sharp look from Asuna drained all the confidence out of Kirito's words. "Uh, the second-in-command of the most powerful guild in SAO. It's just, why would someone like you be here just to receive a report?"

Asuna looked at him for a second. "Well, it took some convincing to get the commander to allow it. Then I had to ditch my escort because he doesn't know anything about this whole mission and he would just slow me down anyway, but I was finally able to come. I don't hear from you guys often and I wanted to check on you."

" . . . But . . . You could have just messaged me."

Asuna scowled at the swordsman, a slight blush on her cheeks. "There's something different about checking up on people in person opposed to over a message, Kirito!"

There was a short silence as, for some reason, Kirito stared at Asuna as if she had three heads. Then, he went up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

Asuna blinked. ". . . Uh."

"I found it."

"Found what?" Felicita asked.

Kirito looked at her, still holding Asuna by the shoulders. "It _cannot _be a coincidence that Asuna is here. She was meant to come here today."

"What?" Asuna asked again.

Kirito looked at the girl he was holding. "You're a direct line to the top of the most powerful guild in SAO. If you wanted to, you could organize a boss raid overnight right?"

"Well yeah, but it would be a really weak raid."

"Then you can help."

"What? But . . ." Asuna looked to Felicita for an explanation. Kirito faced her too, giving her a meaningful look.

Felicita finally caught on. "Laughing Coffin is getting suspicious of me, so I may not be able to leak information for much longer."

Asuna thought over what she had just heard. "And we're not even close to bringing them down yet." She muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest as Kirito dropped his hands to his sides. "If they discover you soon, then they might move to another location. We can't let that happen."

The Black Swordsman nodded. "So if we're going to do anything about it, it needs to happen soon or else we will lose this chance while we know where they are."

Asuna was silent for another moment before she nodded. "Ok, I'll see if I can work something out. It's possible that I could assemble a small assault team within the next few days."

"We're not going to kill them, right, Asuna?" Asuna blinked as the smaller girl looked to the ground and fingered the hilt of the knife at her left hip. "Some of the people in that guild . . . they're just like me. Not all of them kill. They just joined Laughing Coffin because they felt like they had nowhere else to go. I could have easily been one of them." As Felicita said this, she thought of Ginta and other players who were like him. Then, she looked up. "Some of them have done bad things . . . but that doesn't mean they're bad people. They don't deserve to die." Suddenly, the former thief felt a hand on her head. She looked up to see Kirito, a small smile on his face.

"Well said, Fel." He said as he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"You don't have to worry, Felicita." The girl turned her head to see Asuna, a smile on her face too. "I'll make sure that we will be able to avoid killing anyone."

The short-haired girl sighed in relief. "Good."

"Now, as I said, I should be ready in a few days, but there's no telling if Laughing Coffin will expose you before then, so just be careful alright?" She received a nod in response. "Good." Then she seemed to look at Kirito. "And don't do anything stupid until then either!"

He blinked. "What are you talking about? I never do anything stupid."

Felicita raised her hand. "Does that mean we can do something stupid _after?"_

Asuna stared at them for a moment. "You two are ridiculous." She huffed as she spun on her heel and marched down the mountainside.

The two solo players stared after her until she disappeared. Then, their heads slowly turned until they were looking at one another. They stayed like that for a while, not moving an inch. Then, Felicita couldn't hold it in anymore. Laughter bursted from her mouth and she doubled over, clutching at her stomach. Kirito watched her for only a few seconds before he started to laugh too, though not as violently. Neither of them were sure why they were laughing exactly, it wasn't even that funny. But standing there, laughing together for no apparent reason, just felt good.

* * *

The two darkly dressed solo players stood there for a moment, taking in the sight before them. In the middle of the forest was a camp. It didn't look like a traditional camp. Here, there were just several groups of people gathered together in quiet conversation. All of them wore armor and had some type of weapon with them. Some groups wore similar colors, but for the most part each person wore something different, though, there was a large amount of red and white. Just at a glance, Felicita guessed that there were about seventy players there.

"Hey, you two. It's about time you got here." A smiling Asuna said as she came into view. She glanced behind herself briefly. "So, what do you guys think?"

"This is great, Asuna!" Felicita marveled. "And you did this all in one day."

Kirito nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Asuna. I gotta say, you're amazing."

Asuna's cheeks turned pink. "Well, we haven't even set the plan in motion yet so don't get ahead of yourselves. There are some last minute preparations to be made and not everyone that volunteered has arrived yet so I suggest that you two get ready." With that, she turned and hurriedly walked away.

The two glanced at each other before looking at the large group in front of them.

"So . . . What do you want to do, Fel?"

"Well I _don't _want to talk to people." The girl answered matter-of-factly.

"You're so introverted. You need to get out there and make some friends."

Felicita gave him an incredulous look. "Look who's talking Mr. Solo-Player!" She said as she smacked his arm.

"Fair point." Kirito mumbled as he rubbed his bruised arm. Or at least he knew it would have been bruised if he was in his real body and not an avatar. "Are you gonna answer my question?"

The petite girl "hm-ed" in thought. "Wanna just sit over there?" She asked, pointing to a tree that was away from the group. The swordsman shrugged in response. So, Felicita led the way over to the large pine tree, skirting the edges of the assault group.

Together, they plopped down on the ground and leaned their backs against the rough bark. It was quiet between them for a while, neither of them really sure of what to do next.

Deciding it was best to eat before the battle, Felicita opened her menu and selected some bread. She offered one to Kirito. "Want some?"

"Sure." He said, reaching over and grabbing it. "Thanks." As he took it, Felicita took one out for herself and took a bite. It tasted the same as it always did, but for some reason, she had a hard time chewing and swallowing it. The thief just stared at it after a while, turning the small loaf over and over in her hands, as if she were trying to memorize every virtual crumb.

Kirito nudged her. "You know, the durability will run out before you can finish it if you keep staring at it like that."

"Shut up." She teased, but only half-heartedly.

He looked at her for a second. "You're worried about the raid aren't you?" Felicita took a breath to deny it, but after she rethought about it, she just sighed and looked back down at her bread. "I take that as 'yes'."

Felicita pulled her knees up to her chest and quietly hummed in agreement. Briefly she debated whether or not she should talk to him about how she felt, but she quickly decided that she might as well. "Why do I always feel this way, Kirito-kun? I'm always afraid, and it doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing. I always feel afraid no matter how much I try to push the feeling away. I hate it." She sat quietly, in wait for his response. It was silent for a long time, and Felicita thought that maybe Kirito didn't know how to respond.

"I don't think fear is a bad thing." The girl looked up at her friend's voice. He was looking at the ground, one knee drawn up with his elbow resting on it. "It's normal to be afraid, especially in SAO. Even I feel that way sometimes. There's the fear of dying, or watching someone else die. But that fear is what drives us to protect what we love and what we believe in right? It makes us fight as hard as we can for it."

Felicita looked at the ground in thought. "I guess."

"And you don't have to be afraid, Fel, 'cuz you have me and Asuna here with you. You can lean on us. But if you still feel afraid, think of your fear in a different perspective."

The petite girl furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"If you're afraid, think of it as conviction. If you're afraid to die, you're determined not to be killed, and if you're afraid that someone _else _might die, you are determined to not let _them _be killed."

It was quiet as the girl beside him continued to look at the ground and think over the words she had just heard. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The only problem now was training her mind to instinctively think that way.

"You're right. Thanks, Kirito-kun." There was a short pause before Felicita smacked him on the back.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Felicita smirked. "You know, you can be pretty smart sometimes."

"Gee, thanks." The dark-haired boy grumbled, but then he saw the look on his friend's face. He smiled to himself. She seemed to be back to her old self now, and he was happy that he could make that happen.

* * *

Asuna stood, with her hands on her hips, as she looked down at the two sleeping introverts. Felicita's head was resting on Kirito's shoulder while his head was leaning against the top of hers.

"They really _are _ridiculous." Asuna muttered, but she couldn't prevent a smile from creeping onto her face. They reminded her of two small children who had exhausted themselves playing the day away.

The Lighting Flash knelt down in front of them and took each of them by the shoulder. "Hey, guys, wake up." She said not so quietly as she shook them. Kirito was the first one to open his eyes. He stirred and lifted his head up.

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what' Kirito? When I said 'get ready' I didn't mean 'take a nap'!" She scolded him. "You need to use your time more wisely."

Felicita's head lifted slightly and went to lean against the tree as Kirito stood up to stretch. "Well maybe that was our way of 'preparing for battle'." He said as he stretched his neck out. Asuna was about to retort when the swordsman spoke again. "So why'd you wake us up? Is it starting?"

Asuna sighed. "Just about. Everyone just arrived and we plan on going over everyone's roles before we begin, so you two better join us."

"Alright, we're coming." Kirito said. Asuna nodded before walking away, probably off to do more second-in-command stuff. That's when the swordsman noticed that Felicita still wasn't up yet. He sighed and knelt beside her. "Fel, we're going over the plan. Get up."

"I don't wanna get up yet." She groaned.

"You have to, Fel, or we'll leave without you." Kirito warned.

There was a short pause, as if Felicita was weighing her options. "Fine." She said finally. Kirito made to stand up. "Carry me."

He looked down at her, exasperated. "What? Why?"

"Carry me, dammit!" She said firmly, not sounding as tired as she had made herself out to be mere seconds ago. The swordsman quickly turned and offered her his back, feeling slightly afraid for his life. The girl smirked as she put her arms around his neck. With a heavy sigh, Kirito stood up, holding Felicita's legs so she didn't fall. Smiling, Felicita sat up straight and pointed forward. "Mush!" Grumbling, her sled dog began to trudge forward.

The two of them walked into the center of the small camp where a large table stood. Several people glanced at them weirdly as they passed, but other than that, they were left alone. Kirito was still brooding, and people looking at him did not help his mood, but Felicita didn't really care, she was enjoying herself. She knew that she was probably being a little too light-hearted considering what they were about to do, but she felt that she had to enjoy these moments while she could. She wasn't planning on dying . . . but things don't always go as people plan them.

As Kirito came to stop at the table, Felicita smiled happily. "Ok, you can put me down now." With another sigh, Kirito complied, and the girl on his back slid to the ground. Prancing around him so that she faced him, Felicita stood on her tiptoes and gave the boy in front of her a few firm pats on the head. "Good boy."

He lazily swatted at her hand. "What am I, a dog?"

"Yep!" Kirito groaned at that. Felicita just smiled at him until she saw someone clad in red and white walk up to them. "Ryner?"

Kirito looked around to see just the dark-haired boy she was talking about.

Ryner gave a small smile and a wave. "Hey, Felicita." Then he briefly looked at the Black Swordsman. "Kirito." He said curtly.

Kirito narrowed his eyes at him. It's not that he hated Ryner, he just felt a little wary around him.

Felicita elbowed him. "Be nice." She hissed.

He just looked at her from the corner of his eye. Sternly, she jerked her head in Ryner's direction, as if to make a point. Kirito looked back at Ryner. "Hey." was all he said.

Felicita continued to look at the knight. ". . . You're coming on this mission too?"

Ryner shrugged. "Yeah. Asuna was asking for 'trusted' volunteers so I thought 'why not'?"

The small girl regarded him quietly. She wasn't sure how she felt about this. Did she really want Ryner to be there?

Suddenly, Kirito jerked to the side with an "oof" sound.

"Hey, Kirito! How's it going?"

Kirito looked at someone that was on the other side of him. All Felicita could see of them was the arm they had slung casually around Kirito's shoulders. "Uh, hey, Klein."

Felicita's eyes widened. _Klein?_

"So you're doing this too, huh? I figured as much. Asuna asked the whole assault team to join in on the fun. And who's this you're with, Kirito? Are you actually _socializing?"_

Kirito sighed and pushed Klein away from him. "Klein, this is Ryner, member of the KoB, and this is Felicita. Fel, this is Klein, leader of the Fuurinkazan."

Klein smiled at her at first, but then, his eyebrows furrowed as he bent to look down at the girl. Nervously, Felicita turned her head so Klein couldn't look her in the eyes, hoping that he wouldn't recognize her because she sure knew who he was.

"I know you." Klein said suddenly. Fel's eyes darted to look at him once before she scurried around him and hid behind Kirito. The swordsman and the Knight of the Blood Oath just watched them in confusion.

"N-no you don't." The girl in gray stuttered.

Klein just went around Kirito to look at her. "Yes I do." Klein said firmly. Then he stood up straight in thought. "But from where?" He muttered. Then his eyes widened. "You're that girl!" As if she were ashamed, Fel diverted her eyes to the ground.

Kirito looked down at her with concern, then looked to Klein in confusion. "What are you talking about, Klein?"

The leader of the Fuurinkazan looked from Kirito to the girl at his arm. Then he sighed. "Remember . . . that night on Christmas Eve? With the mini-boss fight for the revival item?" Kirito nodded slowly. "Well, she was there."

A pang went through Kirito's chest as he remembered. Fel had told him about that. They had been in the same place at the same time for similar reasons without even knowing it.

Ryner looked confused. "But why were you . . .?" Then he trailed off as he realized the answer to his question.

Felicita nodded. "I was trying to get the item for Seiji and Kinade." She said softly, her small frame beginning to tremble. Kirito tightly gripped her shoulder with his hand. It didn't hurt, it was more of a comforting gesture. Felicita smiled up at him gratefully before stepping away and standing so that she faced Klein.

She gave a bright smile as she spoke. "I need to apologize, Klein. We never really made proper introductions." At this she gave a short bow. "My name's Felicita. It's nice to meet you."

Klein stared at her for a long moment, as if he didn't know what to say. Then, he made a deep bow and held his hand out, offering a handshake. "H-hello! My name is Klein! Age: twenty-two! I am currently single and-!"

Without warning, Kirito punched him. Hard.

Klein went sprawling in the dirt. He cussed loudly before sitting up to glare daggers at the swordsman. "What the hell was that for, Kirito?!"

"Why do you have to go after every girl you come across?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"C'mon! The ratio of girls to guys is like one to a hundred! And anyway, look at her! She's pretty good-looking. How have you not made a move yet?"

"She's only like fourteen, Klein!"

"Really? Then what are you doing still being single? She's perfect for you! She was already hanging onto your arm anyway!"

"I-It's not like that!"

"Well if you won't do anything then I will!"

They were basically butting heads at this point, and Ryner and Felicita were just watching, at a loss for words. For a while, it was only Klein and Kirito bickering. Then, Felicita began to giggle.

All three boys turned to look at her, the bickering ceased as they watched the girl's giggles turn into laughter. She doubled over and clutched her sides as she laughed harder. She wasn't even sure why, she just thought it was funny.

"What?" Klein asked, but Felicita just shook her head and continued to laugh. Then, Ryner joined in, adding his laughs to hers. "What?" Klein asked again, this time more insistently. He and Kirito just looked at each other, confused, but as they listened to the other two laughing, they began to crack up as well.

Maybe it was the pressure of the situation, or maybe they were just being stupid and immature, but they were laughing their heads off for no reason. Were they even supposed to be laughing at a time like this, with an immensely important battle just moments away? Well maybe the answer was yes. Because sometimes, it's not the biggest, most memorable moments that are the most important, but the little, meaningful ones that lead up to it and shape you into the person that really makes that big moment as important as it was meant to be.

**A/N: I think that was a good chapter, how about you? There was some good bonding and development as well as some interesting ways to think about life. I hope you guys understand what i'm getting at because that is my goal in writing: to send meaningful messages that touch people. I know, i'm a really deep person aren't i? i try. (Definitely some modesty in there.) Well, review please! And also, thanks to everyone who reads this and favorites, follows and leaves reviews. You guys are awesome :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Resolutions and Lack Thereof

Chapter 19: Resolutions and Lack There of

**A/N: See? This chapter came early. Not as early as i would have liked, but still. I don't really save much to say right now, only that my poll will be up until maybe a week or two after this story ends. That won't be for a while by the way, so don't worry. Anyway, i hope this turned out well. The middle kinda caused me problems.**

It was silent as the three surveyed the castle for any sign of movement. It looked still at first glance, but it was better safe than sorry in this situation.

"Do you see anything?" Asuna hissed from behind Felicita and Kirito. It was better that she was in the back because, with her white armor, she could have been spotted a mile away, but with two darkly dressed figures with high hiding skills in front of her, it was like they weren't even there.

"No." Felicita hissed back. It was quiet for a moment before she felt something nudge her elbow. She turned to look at the swordsman beside her.

"You ready?" He asked, still looking forward.

"That's a stupid question." The girl muttered slyly.

Kirito smirked. "Well, what's your stupid answer?"

Felicita almost laughed before she remembered that they were supposed to be stealthy. Instead, she put a smirk of her own on her face. "Nope." She said before she dashed out of the trees and toward the drawbridge. Immediately, the Lightning Flash and the Black Swordsman followed her.

They were the fastest of the assault team so they were assigned with the task of opening the drawbridge to allow the rest of the players to enter with ease. The three of them were capable of running up the wall to get inside and, because of their agility skills, they were practically invisible as they sprinted toward the castle.

They didn't even pause before they ran up the stone ledge and up wall. Felicita tried her hardest, put apparently she wasn't fast enough because near the top of the wall she began to lose traction. She began to panic, her arms flailing to grab hold of something, anything. Her fingers just latched onto the edge, before her body landed flat against the wall. The girl sighed in relief and tried to pull herself up, but only the fingers of her left hand had caught the edge and it was hard to shift her body weight and grab it with her other hand.

"Having trouble there?" Felicita looked up to see a certain dark-haired boy smiling down at her.

"_No, _Kirito. I just _love _precariously hanging off of the roofs of large buildings."

"Oh. Ok then." He made to walk away.

"Wait! Where the hell are you going? Pull me up!" Kirito made it look like he was hesitating before he knelt and offered his hand to the girl below him. She heaved and was able to grab hold of it. Effortlessly, she was pulled up and set down lightly on her feet. "Show off." Felicita muttered.

"Guys, focus! This is no time for messing around!" Asuna hissed at them.

Kirito shrugged. "Sorry, Asuna. Can't do that." She narrowed her eyes at him before jumping down on the other side. The two left behind glanced at each other, smirks on their faces before following after her.

As soon as they hit the ground, Kirito and Asuna went to the lever that lifted the bridge while Felicita stayed put, her eyes darting around warily and her knives drawn. She would use her skills to incapacitate any Laughing Coffin member that found them there.

Luckily no one came in as the bridge dropped down. The three waited as the rest of the assault team marched inside and branched off into separate groups. Each group went its separate way as Asuna quickly addressed one of her passing subordinates.

"Is the perimeter set up?"

The knight nodded. "Yes. They are ready to go."

"Good." Asuna nodded to him and he continued on his way. Then she turned to the Shadow Thief. "Felicita."

The smaller girl nodded. She knew this place the best, and now it was her job to lead the assault team through it. In no time, they were following her through the darkness of the underground tunnels. Their group was the largest as they planned to take on the elite of the murder guild. At that moment, smaller groups were attempting to subdue the lesser members of the guild and a group of twenty or so players surrounded the place, ready to intercept anyone who attempted to escape.

As Felicita ran down the dark tunnels of the Laughing Coffin HQ, she glanced at the group of players behind her. She saw Kirito and Asuna, and just behind them, she could see Klein, Ryner, and Heathcliff. All of the stronger players had been put on this team. Even though Felicita had known this, she had been surprised when she had seen Heathcliff show up. It felt weird to have all of them follow her.

Not much happened as they ventured through the darkness. A few goblins appeared here and there, but Felicita had no problem disposing of them single handedly. Then, they finally arrived at the large wooden door. No words were spoken, all Felicita received was an encouraging nod from Kirito. She turned back to the door. She didn't leave herself any room to think about it, she just pushed the door open.

Everyone immediately filed in and spread throughout the room, weapons drawn. A large group was at the back of the dark chamber. But something wasn't quite right. They seemed too relaxed.

"Ah. Look who's here." A figure came out of the crowd, brandishing an ax. "So glad you could join us." The low, piercing voice drawled. "It took you long enough." At this, a cold feeling of dread spread through Felicita's body. Something was _definitely _not right.

"It seems you weren't as sneaky as you thought with your little plan!" A player next to Kuroshida cackled into the silence as he surveyed the intimidating force before him. By his voice, Felicita instantly recognized him as the player who wanted her dead. She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "Sorry, Shadow Thief, the last few months were for nothing."

The petite girl's hands tightened around the handles of her knives. No, she could not believe that. The last two months_ had_ mattered. _They had._

"It makes no difference whether you knew about our plans or not," Asuna began "we didn't come here for nothing. We are absolutely prepared to send you to prison."

"Like that's going to affect anything." The nameless player cackled. "You didn't even discover our real leader's name!"

Kuroshida sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You weren't supposed to say anything about that yet, you dumbass."

"But I couldn't help it, Kuro! They think you're our leader! That's a riot!" He continued to laugh. "Oh, poor little heroes! They didn't get what they came for!"

"What's all this about 'not getting what we came for'?" Kirito growled.

"I suppose there is no hiding it anymore." The formerly believed leader of Laughing Coffin sighed. "I am not the leader off this guild. Currently our esteemed leader and over half of the guild are making their escape."

Silence ensued and the amount of tension in the room seemed so palpable, Felicita almost believed she could cut it with her knife.

"That doesn't prevent us from taking those of you foolish enough to remain behind." Heathcliff's voice boomed.

There was a short pause. "And who said that we would go with you willingly?" A tense movement went through the crowd. Felicita held up her knives, her composure regained, ready to fight. "Now hold on a minute." Kuroshida said. "Don't you want to know what Laughing Coffin's been keeping from you, little thief?" The girl just stared at him, suddenly remembering the first time she snuck into the LC underground. His body language remained relaxed the whole time. "I think it's something that you would really want to hear."

A movement out of the corner of Felicita's eye caught her attention. She turned to see Kirito shake his head at her, a warning look on his face.

"I promise you, you won't regret hearing it." The girl turned to look back at the figure.

"Fine." She said, stepping forward. "This better be good."

There was a dark chuckle. "That all depends on how you take it." There was a small, tense silence. "First of all, do you know how long our guild has been watching you?" He paused to see if she would answer before continuing. "Well, you first caught the guild's attention about a year ago in the jungle on Floor 24, when you single-handedly defeated a promising candidate that was about join the elite of the guild at the time. Do you remember?"

Felicita froze. Was he talking about Agate? But then . . .

She swallowed thickly. ". . . He was . . . in Laughing Coffin? But that would mean that Seiji—." She cut herself off, not wanting to say it out loud. Agate and Seiji had been in the same guild at the time. That meant that Seiji had been in Laughing Coffin. Harmless, innocent Seiji in the largest murder guild in SAO? That was hard for her to believe.

"I'm so glad that you can connect the dots. Let's see if you can connect the rest."

The player who had been laughing had stopped by now and seemed irritated. "We don't have time for that! Can't I just tell her?"

Kuroshida sighed again. "I suppose. Go right ahead."

"Gladly!" With that, the player ripped his mask off and he looked directly at Felicita.

The girl stared at him, shock and disbelieve making her unable to look away. Then, almost immediately, a mixture of fear and hatred flooded her senses. Her teeth clenched as she spoke his name. "Agate."

He gave her a wicked grin. "Aw, you remembered my name. How sweet of you." He took a few steps toward her. "I warned you to pray that we would never meet again. And now that we have, I _will _destroy you this time. I'm still upset about you making a fool out of me. Watching you squirm under my finger and killing that boy just didn't quite satisfy me." He watched her amusedly as she began to tremble. Then he put a hand to his chin, mocking a thoughtful expression. "You know what? I don't think I quite remember his name."

That tore it. Hearing that killing Seiji and watching her suffer didn't _satisfy _him, as if it were some children's game, made her blood boil. Then saying that he didn't remember the name of the innocent boy he killed made something snap. He made Seiji sound so insignificant, like he was just a fly that had been smashed against the wall in passing and was hardly worth remembering.

Felicita charged at him, knives poised with nothing else in her focus except the psychopath before her. He just smiled and drew a scimitar, looking as if he was looking forward to the fight. She was about a foot away from the bastard when a flash out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Several things happened all at once. Kirito had cut the arm off of one of the LC members. The player screamed and Kirito yelled "Fel, get out of there!" Then Agate jumped away from her, looking triumphant. Caught off guard, the girl barely had enough time to jump back as well, before a dozen knives stuck themselves into the ground where she had just been standing. That's when she noticed that the KoB and LC were charging each other. The thief barely had time to curse before the battle began.

_They were planning this! _Felicita thought angrily as she quickly disarmed and paralyzed as many people as possible, per the plan. _And I fell for it! Ugh! I'm such an idiot! _She berated herself as she violently stunned someone by elbowing them in the chin, then dug her yellow-hilted knife into his shoulder. She could feel herself getting more and more furious with each blow she dealt, each one just as merciless as the next.

Suddenly, a gleeful laugh met Felicita's ears. She whirled around in time to see Agate pull his sword out of someone wearing red and white armor. His face was wild and filled with glee as he watched the KoB member shatter into dozens of polygons, it made Felicita livid. She rushed at him, a war cry ripping itself from her throat. He turned and smiled widely at her, bringing his sword downward in a power attack.

Felicita saw this and quickly rolled under his arm. He missed and Felicita saw an opening. She stabbed toward his back, but his blade met hers with a clang. Agate shoved and caused the girl to stumble backwards. She was barely able to avoid a stab to the chest as the scimitar slashed at her. She didn't get away cleanly though. The blade cut into her shoulder as she moved aside.

"Doesn't this remind you of something?" Agate wondered aloud. "Well it reminds me of our last fight. But you won't win this time, I'm stronger now."

"You're not the only one!" The thief hissed as she brought her knife down. She landed a blow, but it was with the wrong knife. She cursed at her mistake just before she was swept aside by Agate's blade.

He sneered down at her. "Are you sure? It seems to me that you're not as sharp as you used to be."

"You just really love to piss me off don't you?" she retorted as she kicked at his unguarded ankles. He fell sideways and Felicita took the opportunity to roll over and stab him. He caught her wrist and pulled her over so that he was pinning her to the floor. Felicita moved her leg so that she trapped his and she turned the tables so to speak. Now she was above him. This would have been the advantage if she wasn't so small and light. Agate easily lifted his leg up and kicked her in the stomach. The girl went flying and hit the wall, knocking the wind right out of her. She was stunned as she struck the stone. She couldn't even catch herself as she fell to the floor, her lungs refusing to let air in as she laid there.

A dark chuckle sounded from above her. "You're even weaker than you used to be." There was barely a pause before a kick landed in her side. A choked gasp sounded from her mouth as she flipped over. "Pathetic." Agate mused, a wild look in his eyes. "I warned you, didn't I? You can't win this battle. Just give up."

The two looked each other in the eyes for a long moment, trying to see what their opponent would do next. Then, Felicita calmed and her body relaxed. Her eyes went to look at the ceiling. "You're right." She said dejectedly. "You're too strong." She shut her eyes then, and Agate's face brightened. Then he raised his sword.

"But I don't need to win!" Felicita yelled. She gripped her knife tightly and twisted her body as she drove her knife forward, aiming for his calf. The blade went hilt deep before she rolled away and jumped up to stand. He stood there, frozen for a few seconds, before he fell forward, first to his knees and then fully to the ground. Felicita smirked triumphantly. "I just had to do _that!_"

The rest of the battle did not last very long, mostly due to the fact that Felicita's job was to incapacitate the opposing force. This meant that she had to strike every single LC member she could get her hands on with her poisoned knife. It was a lot of work considering that not everyone in their group had a paralyzing item of some sort. By the time the fighting ceased, Felicita was panting heavily, her hands on her knees. Her stamina was out by that point, and it took all of her mental strength to keep herself standing.

She glanced at the LC members that were still standing. There were only about ten of them, Kuroshida among them. Almost all of the assault team was still alive. Sadly, not all of them made it, but they were able to prevent major casualties.

The murder guild was basically backed into a corner now. Both sides stood still, as if challenging the other to attack first. It was deathly quiet in that chamber, and Felicita didn't know how they could stand it.

"I surrender." Felicita quickly stood up straight at those two words, her eyes wide. She could just see Kuroshida drop his ax and put his hands up. Loud protests came from his comrades, but the man remained silent, his hands in the air. Slowly, the rest of the Laughing Coffin members dropped their weapons.

Felicita just watched as the paralyzed and the ones who surrendered were gathered into the center of the room. Then, she felt a clap on the back. Startled, she turned to look round, but it was only Kirito.

"Good job today." He said.

The girl sighed. "I guess." She turned to look back at their prisoners. "We still have a long way to go though."

"Don't worry, we'll get there." The Black Swordsman reassured her as he mussed up her hair.

She smiled at him before jerking her thumb at the compilation of players in the middle of the room. "So what happens now?"

Kirito put his hands on his hips. "Well, now we're still going to take these people to the jail on Floor One, but Asuna got a message and some more are being brought down from the castle. Apparently there were some up there who were using guerilla warfare tactics. They hid throughout the castle and did a hit and run, jerking everyone around in circles."

"Is everyone ok?"

". . . Some of them didn't make it."

". . . Oh."

Kirito scratched the back of his head. "But the guys were caught and they should be brought down any minute."

"Hey! What are you guys doing just standing there? Help out!" Asuna yelled from not too far away.

"Yes ma'am!" Felicita saluted. When Kirito just continued to stand there, she elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted before giving a hasty salute. Asuna just rolled her eyes, a slight smile on her face before, moving on.

After that, they helped to gather the LC members into the center of the room. Most of them were still paralyzed, so all they could really do was glare at Felicita with hatred as she dragged their bodies. She couldn't see that, but she knew that they were doing it just by looking at them.

She was just dragging a particularly heavy player when she saw a pair of hands reach into her peripheral vision. "Here, let me help you." Someone next to her said.

Startled, she looked around at him. "Ryner?"

He smiled at her. "Hey."

She gave him a smile in return before quickly turning her head, avoiding his gaze. For some reason, she didn't want to look directly into his eyes. "Thanks. Physical strength was never my strongest skill." She said as they continued to do their jobs.

"Well it's not the most important skill anyway." Ryner commented. "You just proved that." Felicita couldn't help herself, she had to look at him. "You were great just now." He was looking at her with such warmth in his eyes . . .

She quickly looked away, wondering why a burning warmth was crawling up her neck. "Th-thanks" was her reply. "I didn't really see you, but I'm sure that you were great too."

Ryner just shook his head. "No. I don't think so." By now they had just finished dragging their body. They could still hear it cussing them out as it laid there. "You should take a break. We're pretty much done."

"Ok." Felicita said a little timidly. She watched Ryner go and thought back to just a few seconds ago. _Why did I feel so . . . _She didn't know how to describe it. Ryner just affected her . . . differently.

Then Felicita saw something in the corner of her eye. It looked like a blur, and it took her a few seconds to realize what it was. Just as she did, it was too late. The blur made a beeline toward Ryner, who only saw it a second too late. On instinct, he drew his sword, attempting to block the oncoming blow. The blur had a weapon drawn as well, a long curved blade. In one fluid motion, the blur cut off Ryner's sword arm, allowing it to drop to the floor. Before anyone could so much as blink, Ryner's head was removed from his shoulders.

**A/N: . . . And now you see why i didn't have much to say. Review, please!**


	20. Chapter 20: Distant Memories

Chapter 20: Distant Memories

**A/N: Hello, my good people! So this chapter came earlier than expected. I was just itching to write this I guess. Though, I should probably be trying a little harder to write some of my other story (it's been a month since i updated it). Anyway, this chapter is in a different style than usual. This is a monologue by Ryner where we learn more about him. Yes, i did just rub it in that he's dead and i'm making you wait longer to find out what happens to Fel next. I'm so evil. **

**On a different note, i am just going to let those of you who are interested know that i am making the deadline for submissions for my "fanart/book cover contest" one month from now. I don't want it to drag on so that's it. I have gotten one submission though, and i have to say it is awesome! Please people send in more for me to see! **

**With that out of the way, please enjoy this chapter!**

_I'll admit, my life hasn't been the best. It pretty much sucks most of the time. Sure it got a bit better recently . . . y'know, until my head got cut off._

_ Yeah, it's me, Ryner. How am I talking to you right now? I don't really know myself. I would just roll with it if were you._

_ I wasn't born into the best family. We had many flaws, though some of them I had a harder time seeing than others. When I was little, I always believed that my family was perfect. That was definitely a self-conceived lie. _

_My mother passed away not too long ago and due to certain . . . circumstances, I came to live with her sister, my aunt. I had a hard time living after my mom died, but, eventually, I learnt how to smile again, just like how mom used to tell me to do. My life was quiet after that. I went to school and made friends just like any normal teenager._

_Then Sword Art Online came out._

_This game greatly intrigued me, so I decided to buy a copy. I was surprised to be one of the people "lucky" enough to order it online before it was sold out. When it arrived in the mail, I had a hard time waiting until the launch date to try it out. _

_When the day finally came, I immediately plugged in. Being inside Aincrad was the most amazing experience I ever had and I thought it was the best place to be until . . . you know. _

_When Kayaba announced that we would be stuck in that game until we cleared it or we died . . . I was honestly scared to death. I was one of those people who stayed in the Town of Beginnings for the first couple weeks. Once, I even thought about killing myself, but then I thought about my mom and I immediately tried to snap myself out of it. I wasn't doing what she wanted me to. She had wanted me to be happy, so in honor of her I decided to make the most out of the death game and find a reason to smile. It was hard at first, but eventually I met some people that made it a lot easier. _

_I met Riku first. She was wandering around the Town of Beginnings by herself, her eyes wide as she drank in her surroundings. I guess her expression drew me to her. It was so full of wonder when everyone else looked dead and haunted. _

_We met Toma next, in a dungeon. He saved us from a mob that was difficult for us to defeat on our own. Somehow, he become part of our little group. He seemed fine on his own, but said that being in a party was better than playing solo. _

_The three of us were a pretty good team, though not as good as we could have been._

_About a month into the game, we went to the meeting to figure out how to find and defeat the Floor One boss. That's where we met the rest of our soon-to-be family. I saw them sitting near the back and I just thought that they looked like nice people. Little did I know that we would go far together._

_After the boss raid, we formed a guild together and honestly, I don't ever remember being happier. Sure Toma left, but the girls still made my time in SAO worth it. And then I developed a crush on Kinade. It was the first time I had ever had feelings for someone so I didn't know how to go about it. I didn't know how to react around her and I found it hard to even talk to her._

_Felicita was the easiest for me to hang out with. She treated me as her equal, even though we bickered every chance we got. Silica and Riku were fun too, but they seemed to look up to me in a way and that was a lot of pressure._

_When Seiji came along, things got even better. He was almost like a light, as cheesy as that sounds. He was always happy and didn't have a care in the world, a great contrast to everyone else. And when he died . . . everyone just fell apart._

_Our emotions were more sensitive after that. I think that's what made Kinade explode on Felicita. That's what made me turn my back on her._

_That is probably my biggest regret: leaving Felicita after what happened. It was cruel to just leave her to deal with it on her own, but at first I didn't see it that way. I thought that that was what she deserved. _

_Then, I had shoved Riku and Silica away, shutting them out. That was what disbanded the Timber Wolves. I kept my emotions to myself, shut up in my room and, eventually, the things that had made us such a good team vanished. The girls left, and I was all alone._

_For a while, all I did was stay in the Timber Wolves' house and brood. Sometimes I would breakdown because I felt like I had lost everything, other times I would briefly think about Riku and Silica, wondering what they were doing or if they were even alive. Most times, at least at first, I would be mourning Kinade's and Seiji's deaths. I would mentally ask my mom how I was supposed to smile with them gone. _

_Eventually though, I began to think about _her. _I would often get mad at myself whenever I wondered what _she_ was doing. I would ask myself why I cared after all she had done. Despite that, my thoughts always seemed to go back to her._

_I don't really know why, but I decided to burn the house down and leave. I wanted to do _something _instead of feel sorry for myself. But I wasn't quite sure what I was searching for. _

_I tried soloing for a while, but then I almost died several times. Then I rethought about what to do with my virtual life and decided that joining a guild would be best, I just didn't know which one. I tried joining smaller guilds, but joining the Knights of the Blood Oath was an accident. I was between guilds at the time and they just happened to find my skills were worth something. Personally, I think they made a mistake. I was nothing compared to Kinade, or Felicita for that matter, but before I knew it I was admitted into their ranks._

_That's how I met Toma again. I was assigned under him and he became my commanding officer. I wasn't thrilled at first because of my previous conclusion that he was a jackass, but eventually I came to see that he was at least tolerable. Finally being on the front lines seemed to put some meaning back into my life but . . . it just felt hollow. Fighting on the front lines had been the Timber Wolves' dream. It didn't feel right without them._

_Overtime, tracking down criminal guilds and players became my main focus. I barely thought about anything else. But what caught my attention, were the rumors of the Shadow Thief._

_When I heard that vice-commander Asuna finally caught the thief, I was relieved . . . until I discovered it was Felicita._

_I found out after Toma went into hiding. Apparently his death had been staged so he could avoid getting murdered, which was understandable considering he was an accomplished strategist . . . I can't really think of another reason. Asuna herself came to tell me about the Shadow Thief since I had been appointed Toma's temporary replacement. I had mixed feelings about helping her. At first I had wanted to refuse. But then I felt too shocked and angry to say anything. What had made her stoop that low? And even though I didn't want to admit it, I had felt . . . relieved that she was alive._

_For the next month, I often wondered what the whole reason was that Felicita was doing something so dangerous. And then, I was given the task of receiving her latest report. I really didn't want to do it, but I was the only one available at the time._

_And so, on the scheduled day, I went to the place Asuna specified and waited for her there. I was determined to say as little as possible. I didn't even want to _look _at her. Then when she arrived with that Kirito character that threw me off. His presence irked me for some reason. Asuna had told me that he might be there, and we were on good terms when we had met before but . . . I don't know. Maybe it was the look on his face._

_After that, I just listened to what Felicita had to say. It wasn't much, but it seemed longer for her to say than it should have because all I could really focus on was Kirito glaring at me. When she finally finished, I tried to leave as quickly as possible. But then Kirito . . . what he said made me stop. He sounded genuinely angry at me. But why? Why would he get angry at me on Felicita's behalf?_

_Then I heard the way she said his name, and I came to the conclusion that they were a couple . . . but I wasn't expecting what she said next. She told me that she wanted to fix things with the guild, and she sounded sincere. She wanted to talk. I didn't know what to do, so I stood there, frozen. I don't know what made me say it, but I told her to meet me the next day. _

_After I left, I considered bailing, but something told me to go. Eventually, I built up the courage to ask Asuna what she knew about the Shadow Thief. She was suspicious at first, but when I explained to her why I needed to know, she told me as much as she could. According to her, Felicita had been through a lot to be where she was today. Asuna didn't know the whole story, but what she had gathered was that Felicita wanted "atonement."_

_Of course, I had gone to meet her the next day. I had no idea what to say, so I put off thinking about it. When I got to where I told her to meet me, she was already there, looking nervous and lost in thought. I studied her for a minute, trying to get a read on her. She looked like Fel, though the dark clothing was new. But now I could see a certain depth to her eyes, like she had seen things no one should ever have to see. That was probably true. _

_It began awkwardly, but the conversation that we ended up having made me realize something: I had never hated Felicita, not once. I just thought I had, wanting someone to blame other than myself. None of it was her fault, I had known that deep inside. And the way she spoke sounded remorseful. She truly believed that everything was her fault._

_As we talked on, I found myself wanting, _yearning for_ the same thing she did. I wanted us to be how we used to be. I wanted Felicita to be my best friend again. So, I decided to at least start by getting on good terms with her. I made us into sort of acquaintances, which was better than . . . whatever we were before. Not sure what that would be called._

_I didn't see her again until a month later, when attacking Laughing Coffin. Asuna was asking for volunteers and I thought "why not?" It was my job anyway._

_A few hours before it began, I glimpsed Felicita and Kirito sitting at the edge of the group by themselves. They were just talking, as if they were old friends. Watching them, I felt nostalgic and maybe a little bit jealous. Later on, I saw them approach the table where the plans were laid out. It was amusing to watch as Kirito grumbled while caring a carefree looking Felicita. I decided to walk over and talk to her. Not really for any particular reason. I just felt like talking to her was a good way to re-spark our friendship. I still wasn't sure about Kirito though, he looked shady._

_And then when Klein came in, things took another turn. I had heard about him before, he fought on the front lines with the KoB after all, but I had no idea that he and Felicita had met before. Asuna hadn't really known much about what happened to her so I wasn't told much of anything either. So to hear that Felicita had attempted to retrieve the revival item on Christmas Eve, something that was only heard about in rumors, shocked me. I had begun to ask why . . . but then the answer clicked in my head. She had tried to get it for Kinade and Seiji. What else could her reason be? Sell it? Only desperate merchants would go that far._

_I didn't know what to say. I could only watch her as she seemed to recede into the depths of her memories. And not the good ones. But then, I got a glimpse of how strong she was. When Kirito put a hand on her shoulder, I saw her push away those thoughts and place a smile on her face. Then she acted like nothing had happened. Normal people would have a hard time doing that, hiding their feelings away for the sake of others. She acted cheerful in the stead of her pain, so that she wouldn't cause others to worry._

_I think that's why Klein suddenly "took a liking to her," she had a lot of good qualities. But when he did that, that ticked me off and I wanted to punch him then and there. Kirito beat me to it though. Then they argued for a while and I wasn't sure what to do, but when Felicita started laughing, I couldn't help but join in._

_During the raid, I don't feel like I really did anything of importance. Everyone like Asuna and Felicita did everything that really mattered. I glimpsed them briefly just before and during the battle. I was too furious with the Laughing Coffin guild to really focus on anything but the fight. The things that Agate fellow said pissed me off . . . but obviously not as much as it did Felicita. I could see her rage in the way she fought, it was quite amazing to witness actually. She even kept her cool enough to not kill anyone out of anger, which would have been all too tempting for me._

_After the battle, I saw her struggling to drag one of the LC members into the center of the chamber where we would teleport them from. I decided to help her, seeing another opportunity to build our friendship, and I thought it was going well. I left, confidently thinking that we could really become friends again. And then . . . well, you know what happened after that, right?_

**A/N: I hope that wasn't too boring. The focus of this wasn't really details or plot, it was more about Ryner and what he felt. Writing this chapter really brought him to life (hehe even though he's dead . . . too soon?) for me and i hope that it helped you to understand him a little more too. I've already started working on the next chapter, so look forward to that. Now, i would just like to thank you guys because i recently hit 50 followers on this story! *applause* I also have about 5,500 views on this too. I'm glad that you guys like Fel-chan and her story. Thanks to everyone who is reading this, you guys make me want to write as much as i can. **


	21. Chapter 21: Aftermath

Chapter 21: Aftermath

**A/N: Hey guys! I am really on a roll with posting aren't I? Don't plan on that lasting though. I felt bad for you guys, so I wanted to get this done as quickly as possible. I will admit though, this was practic****ally done three days ago :) Why did I wait so long to post? Well, in case you guys forgot, today is October 1 (at least it is for me, don't know about you guys), Fel's birthday! I wanted something to post today and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to write another chapter, SO I held back posting this one. Also i kinda just wanted to torture you all some more. Well, enough of my rambling, please go on and read the text below. **

"You should take a break. We're pretty much done."

"Ok." Felicita said a little timidly. She watched Ryner go and thought back to just a few seconds ago. _Why did I feel so . . . ? _She didn't know how to describe it. Ryner just affected her . . . differently.

Then Felicita saw something in the corner of her eye. It looked like a blur, and it took her a few seconds to realize what it was. Just as she did, it was too late. The blur made a beeline toward Ryner, who only saw it a second too late. On instinct, he drew his sword, attempting to block the oncoming blow. The blur had a weapon drawn as well, a long curved blade. In one fluid motion, the blur cut off Ryner's sword arm, allowing it to drop to the floor. Before anyone could so much as blink, Ryner's head was removed from his shoulders.

Silence. Absolute silence filled the room at that point. It was only broken by the primal scream that ripped itself from Felicita's throat a few moments later. Red tinted her vision as she ran, full throttle, toward the figure with the curved blade.

Everyone heard this and were confused about what was happening. Only Kirito and Asuna reacted. Kirito moved first. When he saw Felicita rushing toward the figure and Ryner's body disappearing, his heart dropped. He screamed "Fel, no!" and ran to try to intercept her. Asuna was right on his heels, a scared expression on her face. But they both knew that they wouldn't get there in time.

Felicita reached the figure and, without hesitation, plunged her knife into his chest. Then she saw his face clearly. It was Agate. She didn't have enough room in her mind to wonder how he was up and moving so soon after she paralyzed him. All she felt was hatred. Pure, unbridled loathing. She drove the knife deeper.

At this point, Agate made no attempt to defend himself. In fact, his scimitar had clattered to the floor. He just smirked at her, a knowing smirk that made him look like he had just won something, but his eyes were cold as they bored into her. Then his lips moved and he spoke one last word before he shattered and disappeared from Aincrad and the real world.

Felicita stood there, frozen, as his last word sunk in. Her eyes were wide as she fell to her knees. Her hands fell limply by her sides and her knife fell to the floor. Then, a scream filled the air, but scream didn't quite explain it. It was a broken wail, full of despair.

Next thing Felicita knew, someone was on the ground next to her, holding her tightly. She vaguely registered seeing long, chestnut-brown hair. In the distance, she could faintly hear shouting. She thought it was Kirito's voice, but she didn't understand why he was yelling. She didn't really care though, because Agate had held true to his word. He had destroyed her.

The thief was in too much shock to notice anything. That was why she had no idea what was going on when a light suddenly flashed in front of her. She stared at it, transfixed, yet not really comprehending what was there or what was happening.

The sound of Felicita's despair broke Kirito's heart and he stopped in his tracks. Asuna, however, rushed toward Felicita and embraced her, her heart just as broken. Kirito just stood there, staring as Felicita sat there in Asuna's arms. He couldn't see her face, but he could just imagine how full of anguish her expression was; how shattered her mental state. The thought of that made his fists clench tighter by his sides. He had to do something, _anything. _That's when it hit him.

Kirito rushed over to Klein, who was watching Felicita and Asuna in silent shock, just like everyone else was. Klein didn't even have time to react, Kirito just grabbed him by the front of his armor.

"Kirito, what—?"

"Use it! Use it now!"

"What?"

"You still have it don't you? Now's a good a time as any!"

"What are you talking about?" Klein yelled. The frantic look on Kirito's face was starting to frighten him. Then Kirito yelled three words at him and he instantly understood. Klein quickly opened his menu, knowing full well that he had wasted enough time questioning his friend's antics. With a few deft strokes and taps of his hand, Klein selected the item.

The two waited and watched with bated breath, hoping, praying that they hadn't been too late. But there was a small bit of skepticism. _Would it even work? _Then, a bright light appeared near the place where Felicita and Asuna were kneeling on the floor. Kirito couldn't help but suck in a quick breath and rush over to stand just behind Felicita. Klein followed him as well, unable to believe it himself.

Eventually, the light faded away to reveal a figure wearing red and white. Kirito's eyes widened in shock. Asuna could see this and was confused as to why he looked so dumbfounded, but when Felicita stood up and she was forced to turn around, she understood why.

Ryner stood there, as plain as day, as if he had never died. He blinked in confusion before looking down at his hands. "What?"

Kirito sighed as he sank to his knees, relief flooding though him. "Thank God."

Klein soon fell to his knees as well, shock prominent on his face. "It . . . actually worked."

"How? But I was . . ." Ryner looked down at himself before looking at Felicita who was closest to him. She was just staring at him, not fully believing what she was looking at.

"What's going on, Kirito?" Asuna asked breathlessly.

"He's just one lucky bastard." Klein said.

Kirito, however, gave a more satisfying answer. "We used the revival item."

Asuna's eyes widened. "R-Revival item? But how did you have one of those?" She looked from Kirito to Klein, her eyes pleading for an answer.

In the end, Klein sighed before answering. "It was from when Kirito gave it to me last Christmas. I hadn't used it until just now."

"That long ago? Wouldn't you have used it before now?"

Klein shook his head. "I would have if I could. I would have used it on the first person I saw dead, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Whenever I would see anyone die, which is not as common at this point in the game, it was always in the heat of battle, and I would never have enough time to use it." Then he looked at Ryner. "I guess this guy was just _really _lucky."

"I-I guess I am." Ryner marveled, looking at his hands again. Then, he bowed very low in Klein and Kirito's direction. "Thank you very much." He remained in that position for a while, so he didn't see the smiles that appeared on Klein's and Kirito's faces. He also didn't see the fist that was speeding toward him.

Everyone stared in shock as Ryner fell to the ground, his back smacking the stone floor hard. He curled up in a gasp of pain, his hands clasped tightly over his injured jaw. Then when he remembered that he felt no pain, he sat up and looked, with a dumbfounded expression, at the girl in front of him.

"Fel?" He asked, for he could see her trembling as she stood there.

"You idiot!" She screamed at him. "How could you let that happen just now? I can't believe you!" At this, she knelt down in front of him and grasped the front of his shirt. "You made a promise, didn't you? _We_ made a promise!" She was shaking him vigorously, and all he could do was stare. "We promised her we wouldn't die! Did you forget that, Ryner? Did you forget her?"

"N-no—."

"Like hell you forgot!"

"I-I'm sorry—." He said weakly, but the barrage continued.

"You better be sorry!" Felicita yelled. Ryner was surprised to see tears brimming her eyes. "You were dead, you moron!" The tears began to flow freely now, down her cheeks and into his lap.

". . . Fel." Ryner said softly.

"You were dead." The girl whispered. "I thought you were dead." Then she bent her head to lean it on the fabric clutched between her hands. "Don't ever do that to me again." She sobbed quietly, her shoulders shaking with each breath.

Ryner looked down at her, eyes wide. Then, he slowly put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry. I won't." He said into her hair. She continued to cry into his chest, her hands still gripping the front of his shirt.

Kirito's shoulders sagged as he watched Felicita sob, Ryner's arms still around her. He had been alarmed when Felicita had punched the KoB member. He thought she had lost it. But now he sees that she had, but only momentarily, and now, this breakdown was the result.

Asuna then caught his attention. She had just turned to look at him, a small smile on her face. He gave her a slight smile as well, before she turned toward the rest of the Assault Team, who were just standing there, watching what was transpiring.

"Alright, people, there's still a lot to be done here! Let's get moving!" Then she looked down at Ryner, who was still on the floor with Felicita. "You can stay there, though, Ryner." She said gently, glancing at the girl in his arms.

"Uh, ok." Ryner said.

Felicita shook her head, suddenly sitting back on her heels and hastily wiping her eyes. "No, it's ok. I'm ok." She reassured them. Then she stood up to look at Asuna. "What can I do?"

"Um, well . . ." Asuna began, not really sure if she should give her something to do.

Then Kirito came to stand beside Asuna, a smirk on his face. "Go ahead and give her something, she can handle it."

Asuna contemplated for a second before nodding. "Alright then. You could go out and check on those who were on the perimeter. I want to know how Laughing Coffin and their leader were able to escape."

Felicita blinked. "How do you know they actually escaped?"

The Lightning Flash sighed. "Well, I got some messages saying that a large group of red players broke through the perimeter. There's no doubt they were Laughing Coffin. Also . . . most of our men were killed."

"How?" Kirito asked incredulously. The players assigned to the perimeter were skilled members of guilds like the KoB. How were they all beaten so easily?

Asuna just shook her head. "That's what I want to know." Then she nodded at the two darkly dressed players in front of her. "How about you two go and check it out. If anyone can figure this out, it's you." Suddenly she turned on Ryner. "I need you, by the way, since you're . . . free."

"Uh, yeah, of course." Ryner said as he hurriedly stood up. Then, his eyes met Felicita's. He blinked once before giving her a smile. She stared at him for a second before remembering that she had just punched him, yelled at him, and cried on him just a minute ago. She blushed and quickly looked away from him. Then, seeming to remember the same thing, Ryner's face slightly reddened as well before he went to follow Asuna.

Felicita watched them leave for a while before turning toward Klein and Kirito. They were watching her expectantly. ". . . It was your idea to use the revival item right?" She asked Kirito. He nodded slowly. "And you used it?" She asked Klein. He nodded as well. "I never knew that you still had that. But to use it on him . . ." She trailed of, not sure of how to complete her sentence. Instead, she quickly embraced both of them. "Thank you." She said softly. The two of them blinked in surprise, but then, as they glimpsed each other out of the corner of their eyes, they smiled and returned the hug.

* * *

"What could have happened here?" Kirito mumbled to himself as he knelt down to pick up a lone sword on the ground.

"Who knows?" Felicita thought aloud. "But it was obviously _something. _How else could over half of the biggest murder guild in SAO escape the Assault Team?"

Kirito dropped the sword and stood up in thought. That was a valid point. LC couldn't have gotten passed the perimeter so easily. But how did they do it? They couldn't possibly be _that _strong. Did they just have something up their sleeves? That wasn't likely. Something like that would have to have been _really _powerful, but the system wouldn't allow something so unfair to exist in the first place. The only likely scenario that Kirito could come up with was . . .

"There's a mole."

"What?" Felicita asked him.

"We have a spy." He said, his theory suddenly coming together. "How else did Laughing Coffin know about you and when we were going to raid them?"

Felicita stared at him, before finally starting to see what he was saying. "The spy also helped them escape through the perimeter."

Kirito nodded. "Exactly." Then he put a hand to his chin. "This could be a problem. If people found out, then no one would trust each other and we would destroy ourselves from the inside out. Aside from that risk, this person could leak, or already has leaked, information that could potentially destroy us." He stood there, remembering the number of people who died (or almost died) as a result of this coward. "Dammit! Who is it?"

Felicita quickly looked around at their surroundings. It was still dark out, but she could just see the pink in the sky as the sun was about to rise. "Whoever it is, they're crafty." Then she looked at him. "But we can't figure that out here. There's obviously nothing here to go by. Let's just tell Asuna what we were able to figure out."

The boy in black looked around a little before sighing. "Yeah. You're right. Let's just tell Asuna." And so, the two of them began to make their way back to where the Assault Team was still "cleaning up." It was unusually quiet as they walked back, and that made Kirito feel uneasy. He looked at the girl next to him out of the corner of his eye. She seemed deep in thought.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

Kirito looked at her for a moment longer. "No reason." She was avoiding talking to him and she had been acting strangely distant a few moments before. Something was obviously bothering her, but it didn't look like she wanted to talk about. It probably had something to do with the raid. Regardless, he would be there when she was ready to confide in him.

They returned to silence again. Kirito, unsure of what to do, decided to look through his menu. That had become a habit of his, just going through his stats and items, making sure that everything was in order and making plans on how to get stronger. He found that helped with his day-to-day virtual life.

It was another few minutes until he suddenly stopped walking. Felicita noticed a few steps ahead of him and turned around to look at him in confusion.

"Kirito-kun?"

He stood still for a few more seconds. "This might be a weird question, but have you seen this in your menu before?"

Curious, the petite girl went over to see what he was talking about. On the small screen, he had pulled up his skills menu. He was pointing to a particular skill that was about in the center of his screen. It read "dual-wielding."

"What is that?" Felicita queried in wonder. Kirito just shrugged. Quickly, the girl pulled up her menu and scrolled through her skills list, but she couldn't find "dual-wielding." "No. It's not in my menu."

"I didn't think so. I don't remember ever seeing this before." It was quiet for a moment as Felicita quickly went through her menu some more. Before Kirito knew what she was doing, she handed him a short sword. He looked at her questioningly.

"Well? Go on and try it out."

He looked down at the blade she had given him. Then he shrugged. _It wouldn't hurt. _So he activated the new skill before he pulled out his Elucidator. He held both out in front of him in a ready stance. Then he executed a few slashes in the air before him.

Felicita clapped, her mouth forming a small circle. "That looks so badass!"

Kirito shrugged again. "I guess. But it feels awkward. Your sword is really light."

She huffed before snatching it back and placing it into her inventory once again. "Not everyone prefers STR-type weapons, Kirito."

"Well, STR-type weapons are the best." He stated matter-of-factly as he placed his black sword into the sheath on his back.

"Whatever." Felicita grumbled. "Let's just go." She said before continuing to walk.

Kirito hurried to catch up with her. "Hey, uh, keep that a secret for me would you?"

She looked back at him. "Why?" But just as soon as she asked. She understood. Other players would get jealous if they found out that Kirito had a skill that no one else did. It was similar to her unique knife wielding ability. Not many people thought _that _was fair either. "Oh. Yeah. You're dirty, little secret is safe with me." She replied, a slight smirk on her face.

". . . Thanks."

* * *

The two solo players arrived back at the castle, where they were to meet Asuna and the others. As soon as they got there, they pulled her aside and shared with her the conclusion that they had come up with.

"That _is _a problem." Asuna mumbled. "Right, I'll share this with the Commander." Then her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, uh, Felicita . . . that reminds me." The girl in question looked at Asuna expectantly. The Lightning Flash looked almost uncomfortable as she said this. "The Commander would like to see you."

Felicita stared at her, her heart seemed to stop beating. "Oh. Right. I'll see him then." She glanced at Kirito, he looked just as startled as she did. But there was no avoiding this, so Felicita just took in a breath and marched over to where she could see Heathcliff. He was deep in conversation with someone when she got there, but as soon as he saw her, he ended it abruptly and turned his full attention to her.

"Felicita." He addressed her politely.

She nodded in return. "Commander Heathcliff." It was silent for a moment before Felicita built up the nerve to speak. "I assume you want to see me about my failed mission."

Heathcliff regarded her quietly. "You could say that." A feeling of foreboding swept through Felicita's body. "It is true that this whole raid did not go exactly how we had anticipated, but I wouldn't call it a complete failure."

Felicita blinked. "What?"

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "I believe your mission was to eliminate the Laughing Coffin guild, correct? Not penetrate them. That was only a means to attempt to eliminate them with." The girl stayed quiet so he continued. "The point of this was to evaluate your skills and capabilities. I assure you that I was able to make an accurate measurement based on what I have observed over the past few months. You successfully infiltrated the guild and were able to leak information to us in that time without getting yourself killed, a feat that no average player could ever hope to achieve. In addition, the fighting skills you demonstrated tonight have proved to me that you would be of great use in the future."

Felicita's eyes widened. "You mean . . .?"

The man nodded. "Yes. I will let you remain as the Knight of the Blood Oath's dog." The girl almost jumped for joy before she remembered whose presence she was in.

"Thank you, sir."

Heathcliff nodded. "You will have to abide by any commands we give you, but I will stay true to my word and allow you time to pursue your goals. However, your primary objective is to find a way to take down Laughing Coffin. That has not changed. With your experience in Aincrad's underworld, you are the perfect one for this job. I'm expecting a lot from you, Ms. Shadow Thief."

"Yes sir." Felicita said quickly. "I won't let you down."

"I'm glad to hear it. I will be seeing you soon then." With that, he left.

Felicita beamed. She had done it! Not exactly in the way she had imagined, but she had done it! Now she was free to find Riku and Silica! Now she was free to make amends.

**A/N: . . . I had you guys going for a while there didn't I? You thought I had killed Ryner off. Come on now people I'm not THAT heartless. It's her birthday for Pete's sake! I thought it was a good idea to use the revival item in my story because in the anime they didn't say what happened to it. Not sure if they used it in the manga or light novels because I don't have access to them so don't blame me if they actually did use it. I'm following the anime here. Well, I hope you liked this! Please favorite, review, etc. and i will see you next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22: Clean Slate

Chapter 22: Clean Slate

**A/N: Yeah, hey. I know that this isn't exactly an update, but i realized . . . I screwed up, guys! I messed up the timeline. Lisbeth comes in later than i said. So, i had to fix it. That basically means i split the previous chapter 22 into two parts and while i was at it i edited chapters 1-3. The good news is that chapter 23 is halfway done. I will get to that soon, though with exams this week, it will probably be next week. I added more content though, so enjoy.**

2024/06/10 _(elapsed time: about three weeks)_

Felicita was now walking along the halls of the KoB, looking for Ryner. Earlier that day, she had gotten a message from Toma, asking her to come to the guild. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she knew it was for work reasons. She was instructed to find Ryner for further details.

As she turned a corner, she caught sight of him with a few other KoB members. Ryner looked agitated as he paced his small space of floor.

"Ryner?" She asked as she neared him.

His head snapped up at her voice. "Oh, good. You're here." He said, walking up to her. Then, he paused, not exactly meeting her gaze. "Um, how are you?"

Felicita's cheeks turned slightly pink. ". . . Fine. You?"

He gave a small smile. "Alive."

Felicita gave a short laugh. "So. What was I called in for?"

"Oh, right. Well," he turned to look at the door his comrades were guarding, and scratched the back of his head, "we have a bit of a problem."

The girl in front of him blinked. "What kind of problem?"

Ryner sighed. "We're in the process of interrogating Laughing Coffin members. Specifically, Kuroshida . . . and he won't talk."

"At all?"

"Well, he _talks. _He just doesn't give any useful information. We haven't had any luck with the others, so we were hoping that you could get him to say something."

"W-what? Why me?"

Ryner looked her dead in the eye. "You've been among them, Fel. We figured that you would have more success in this than we have."

The girl looked toward the door, not really wanting to enter a room with a murderer inside. "I guess I could give it a shot." She said finally.

Ryner clapped his hands together. "Great. Well I guess you should know that there's a recording crystal inside, and if you need anything, we'll be out here. Ok?"

The girl gave a nod before walking over to the door. She smirked when she realized that one of the guards was her good friend, Shigure. She expected him to give some sign of recognition, but instead he barely spared her a glance before looking away. Felicita frowned, wondering what was wrong with him as she stepped inside.

The room was small and square, not much inside, just a table, two chairs, and of course, Kuroshida. He looked different without his usual mask and cloak on. He was thin, almost skeletal-like, with dark, unruly hair, and a cold intelligence in his eyes.

Felicita could feel her heart pound as she came closer to the empty seat, presumably for her. Even though this man turned out not to be the leader of the LC guild, he was still a red-player who had killed and/or helped to kill hundreds of people.

As she approached her chair, she saw the crystal Ryner had been talking about. Upon sitting in her chair, Felicita discreetly scooped up the crystal and set it in her lap. She noticed the small light and realized that it was recording already, so, she looked across from her at the man lazily sitting back in his chair.

They stared at each other for a while, Felicita sitting rigidly. Then, Kuroshida spoke.

"Hello, Shadow Thief."

". . . Kuroshida."

"I was wondering when you were coming to see me." He said coolly. "How have you been?"

"Enough with the niceties." Felicita snapped, trying to keep her fear out of her voice. Showing him that she was afraid was not going to help her question him.

"Not very friendly are we?" He drawled.

"I could say the same thing about you . . . for several reasons."

"And those would be?" Kuroshida asked expectantly.

"Well, for one, you _murder _people. And I also hear that you're giving the KoB a hard time." Felicita leaned forward a bit. "Why would you do that? You're in no position to refuse. They could kill you."

"You sound as if you care." He said, sounding amused.

"There's no reason anyone should die." The girl said, sitting back.

Kuroshida sat quietly for a moment. Then, "You're an interesting one. You know that?" Felicita just narrowed her eyes, so he continued. "You're not like other red-players. Quite a few people have noticed that. People like Agate."

"Don't you dare bring up that bastard!" Felicita spat, fear of the man before her forgotten, replaced with absolute hatred for his former guild mate. "And don't change the subject!" but Kuroshida pressed on.

"He had quite the obsession with you. I think he may have even loved you in a twisted sort of way. You have no idea how much he talked about you, how much he watched you. I always wondered why." He looked at her for a moment. "Why is that, Shadow Thief? Why did he love you?"

"Bullshit." Felicita growled. "That son of a bitch tried to _kill _me! That doesn't seem like love at all."

". . . Well maybe he tried to kill you _because _he loved you." Felicita started to say that was ridiculous when Kuroshida cut her off. "He didn't want anyone else to do it."

Felicita stared at him for a moment, before speaking in a quiet but harsh tone. "Enough. You're just stalling. Are you going to cooperate with us or not?"

There was a short pause before he sighed. "I suppose you make a good point. If I don't cooperate you will kill me." Here, he sat forward, suddenly business-like. "This is what's going to happen." He said, leaving no room for discussion. "I give you hints as to what the nature of the Laughing Coffin guild is in exchange for protection."

Felicita stared at him. "What kind of proposition is that?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "I obviously can't tell you outright."

The girl pinched the bridge of her nose. "No. No, it's _not _obvious. Please do explain yourself."

"That is disappointing. I assumed that you were intelligent enough to figure this out on your own." Felicita bristled at this while he continued. "I will be executed if I give no information at all. However, if I give away too much . . . let's just say, my former guild has their ways. So, I have come to a solution, a compromise if you will, that is the safest possible route for me to take."

Felicita was still angry, but she thought through his proposal. Mentally, she sighed, coming to the conclusion that hints were better than grasping at smoke.

"Fine. But why tell _me _this? Why didn't you tell the KoB?"

"As I have expressed before: you intrigue me. This being the case, I will only give my clues to you, and you alone. This is beneficial for me, as I can, ah . . . _study _you."

". . . Fantastic." Felicita deadpanned. Then she waited expectantly. When it looked like Kuroshida wouldn't say anything any time soon, Felicita irritably opened her mouth again. "Well?"

"You don't expect me to say anything _now _do you? I want to make certain that my safety is assured before I divulge anything of importance to you."

The small thief sat there, looking at him, before standing up, releasing an annoyed growl from her throat simultaneously. "Fine." She snapped, before marching out the door and back into the hallway.

Quickly, she walked up to Ryner, who was leaning against a nearby wall. "How did it go?" He asked, as he shifted his weight so that he stood upright.

Felicita placed the recording crystal into his hand. "I'd rather not talk about it. Just play that last part for Heathcliff."

"Why? Did he tell you something worthwhile?"

"He wants to make a deal before he tells us anything." She grumbled.

Ryner blinked. "A deal? Wait, where are you going?"

"I have work to do." The girl answered as she walked away, down the hall. "See ya."

"Uh. Yeah. See you." Ryner waved his hand back, a little confusedly.

Felicita felt like she couldn't stay any longer, she had to leave. Too many things were buzzing around her brain. Her conversation with Kuroshida had definitely set her teeth on edge. He was so cunning and resourceful, self-preserving, he reminded her of a snake. His words cut into her like a knife, and he was so manipulative, it was a little unnerving, like a murderous version of Kyoya Ootori. He had even hit a nerve bringing up Agate. She had thought enough about_ him _for the past month. Then there was tracking down LC, along with carrying out orders from the KoB and trying to find Silica and Riku. Her clean slate had sure come with a price. There was so much on her plate right now, that it was stressing her out as she tried to accomplish it all. How was she going to do it?

* * *

Felicita stood, fuming, as she stared out over the serene view of a lake. A million different thoughts were buzzing around her brain as she tried to calm down. Kuroshida, the KoB, Laughing Coffin . . . it was all too much. She was starting to think that becoming the dog of the strongest guild in Aincrad was a bad idea. She had taken on this stupid role so that she could freely look for her friends. Well, former friends anyway. But now that she was 'free' she didn't seem to have time for personal interests.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Felicita whirled around, dagger in hand, and threw it with all her might. Doing so, she hadn't realized that Ryner had come up behind her and was standing in the line of fire. She had, however, noticed him in time to adjust her trajectory ever so slightly so that her knife embedded itself an inch away from where it was supposed to, thus missing Ryner's head and thudding into the bark of a tree.

Said knight froze where he stood in front of the tree, his eyes wide as he looked at the girl in front of him. Then he nervously turned his head toward the knife. "And I thought I was on your good side."

Felicita sighed. "Sorry, Ryner. I had a lot on my mind and I didn't realize that you were here."

"No problem." He said as he pulled her dagger out of the tree, his voice slightly strained by the effort, before walking over to her. "Just remind me to never get on your _bad _side." At this, he held the knife out to its owner.

"Thanks." The petite girl said as she took it and slid it into its sheath. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, I came to tell you that I played the recording for Heathcliff. He seemed reluctant, but he decided to make the deal with Kuroshida."

"Wonderful." Fel deadpanned.

"Just be careful, alright?"

She scoffed. "You can tell the Commander that I'll be just fine."

". . . That's not a message from him. It's from me."

Felicita blinked as she looked at him.

"I kinda heard the things that Kuroshida said to you. Sorry, but we couldn't really tell which parts we were supposed to listen to."

There was a slight pause before she sighed. "That's alright. It's not like it was a secret or anything."

"I can guess that what he said was what was on your mind?"

"Well, you can say that. More like it _added _to everything on my mind. There's also the fact that this damn job is a pain in the neck. It makes me want to take my knife to Heathcliff and shove it up his—"

Ryner chuckled. "There it is. The violent girl with the temper and the foul mouth. It's good to have you back, Fel."

The thief glanced at him before smirking. "You too, _baka_." She said, emphasizing the name with an elbow to Ryner's arm.

The boy rubbed the spot, knowing that if he had known Felicita in the real world, his body would have been battered and broken a long time ago. But he found himself thinking that he wouldn't have minded.

"You know, you can skip rocks across water in SAO."

Felicita gave him a skeptical look. "No you can't."

"Yeah you can. Watch." He commanded as he picked up a smooth, round stone from the water's edge. Then, he turned his body so that his shoulder faced the lake. Holding the rock diagonally to his waist, Ryner gave a sweeping flick of his wrist. The stone flew out across the surface of the water, skipping four times before it lost momentum and sank into the depths of the lake.

Felicita stared in awe at the place where the stone had disappeared. "How'd you do that?"

Ryner smirked at her sudden interest. "There isn't really a sword skill for skipping rocks in SAO, but really you can throw just about whatever the heck you want as long as your strength stats are high enough. And because this world was shaped to be just like the real one, there's no surprise that the water here has the same, if not similar, properties as the real stuff."

"But _how _did you _know _about . . ." Felicita vaguely waved her arms in the direction of the water as she attempted to find the words. "_This?"_

Her friend smiled smugly. "I made it up myself."

" . . . A 'rock-skipping skill'?"

There was a nod.

The thief could only look at him for a moment before she started laughing. "Is this what you do in your spare time, Ryner? Think up nonexistent skills that have _no use _whatsoever? You really are an idiot!"

Ryner felt his ears warm up as he watched her. He was just about to retort when she picked up a stone as well. "How do you do it?"

He couldn't help but eye her smirk and the mischievous glint to her eyes. Finally, he smirked too. "I thought you said this was stupid."

"I said that _you _were an idiot and that this skill isn't worth shit. But who said it wouldn't be fun?"

". . . Well alright then. First you need to get into position. Crouch down a little and turn your body sideways to the water." Ryner instructed. When Felicita had done what he had asked, he eyed her posture critically. "You're not crouching low enough." He said as he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed down. "Do it like this. Ok. Now try to throw it."

The girl did as she was told and attempted to throw the rock just how she had seen Ryner do it. But the little stone didn't skip like Ryner's had. Instead, it sunk into the water on impact. "This skill is stupid."

Ryner laughed. "You can't really get it on the first try in the real world either. Here." He said, grabbing another rock and putting it into Felicita's hand. "Crouch down." As he said this, he stood behind her and guided her movements with his hand on hers. "And throw." Then his hand guided Fel's smaller one to throw the stone as he had, making it skip twice.

The thief's face was blushing pink by this time as she quickly, though slightly reluctantly moved away from him. His touch had been so gentle. "Uh. Ok. I think I got it now." She said, not looking at Ryner as she picked up another rock.

He picked one up as well. Then he threw it across the water, skipping it five times.

"How did you get so good?"

He shrugged. "I was terrible at first, so I thought it was impossible, but it just takes practice. It's all in the movement of your wrist."

"Hm." Felicia pondered his words before she attempted a second time. The rock just sink into the lake with a loud 'plunk' and that made her 'hmph' at it in annoyance. But she tried again and again, relentlessly until the sky began to turn orange.

Finally, just as Ryner suggested that they call it a day, Felicita's rock flew through the air, hopped once, and disappeared into the dark water

The girl jumped into the air with triumph. "Ha. Yes! Suck it, universe, I did it!"

Meanwhile the knight beside her was giving her a round of applause. "Great job. You have now passed level one."

"What is this now? A minigame? Then what level are _you_ on?"

He picked up a stone and threw it, making it skip five times again. "I'm stuck on level six."

"Then I'm gonna beat you!"

"I don't know. It took me a long time just to beat level four."

"Well I'm better than you."

"Sure you are." He said, skipping another stone across the water.

Felicita picked up another for herself and threw it again, but it still only skipped once. At least it was better than nothing. So, they stood there for a while, skipping stones.

"Hey, Fel. I need to tell you something."

"What? That you wear women's underwear?"

"No! I just want to tell you that I'm looking for Silica and Riku, too."

Felicita stopped throwing and turned to look at him. "You are?"

He nodded and turned to look at her. "I wasn't the nicest person to them before we parted ways, and knowing that you wanted to make up with them kinda inspired me."

The petite girl couldn't help but look at him for a moment. Had she really _inspired _him?

Then, he continued, though this time he looked at the ground more than her face. "And, uh, I was thinking . . . since you don't have that much time at the moment to find them, I figure we could work together on this." She just stared at him so he rushed on. "If you're ok with that of course! You don't have to."

Felicita's eyes widened. "No, no, of course I want to!" He finally looked at her as she said this. She gave him a bright smile. "I'd really like that, Ryner." She looked him in the eye and they stayed like that for a while. Then, when they both realized that they had been staring for too long, they looked away, embarrassed.

". . . So, uh, see you tomorrow then?" Ryner asked.

Felicita nodded. "Um, yeah. Sure . . . Bye." She said with a wave. Then, there was an awkward parting of ways as these two left to go to bed, for they had spent so much time together, that the virtual sun had sunk below the horizon.

**A/N: There. I thought adding something a little cute would be nice. Also, did you guys catch the Kyoya Otori reference? He is from Ouran High School Host Club and is basically a merciless tax-collector/demon king. I know that some of you don't get my anime references, but Fel is an otaku and is bound to make some, but not from SAO because, you know, it's not an anime in the SAO world.**


	23. Chapter 23: Things Gained

Chapter 23: Things Gained

**A/N: Hey there! It's been a while, but let me just apologize. Writer's block has been a real pain. Anyway, here is chapter 23. I know that half of it is part of the old chapter 22, but, in case you were unaware, i had to update that one for accuracy. It has new content mixed with the old now, just like this one does, and i would appreciate it if you would look at it. I also added a little to chapter three. You don't have to look at it, but it wouldn't hurt to do so.**

2024/06/29 _(elapsed time: one month)_

A certain thief stood in front of a door, fist raised as if she were about to knock, but she just stood there, frozen. She groaned in frustration before abruptly dropping her hand to her side and turning around, stepping into the street. She paced back and forth for a minute. Then she went up to the door again, hand raised . . . before repeating the process.

Felicita had been doing this for the past hour, trying to bring herself to walk into the shop. But every time she came close, her courage deflated like a balloon and she turned around, almost leaving. She couldn't bring herself to leave though. She wanted to go inside . . . and yet she didn't at the same time. There were many conflicted feelings inside her. She had to go in at some point though. She was famous, in a way, and her presence on the street was starting to draw attention.

The petite girl was just turning away _again, _when she saw someone familiar standing close by, watching her with an amused look on his face.

"Kirito-kun." She stated, slightly surprised.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "I thought that you had gone in by now."

"Well, uh . . ." The girl began, trying to explain herself.

The boy sighed, a knowing smirk stretched across his face. "Come on." He said, grabbing the girl's arm and opening the door. A bell tinkled as it swung open. There were slight protests from the girl as she dragged her feet, trying to keep herself from going inside. Kirito was stronger than her though, so her efforts were fruitless.

Suddenly, a door opened behind the counter in the back and a certain pink-haired blacksmith appeared.

"Hello, welcome to—." She stopped midsentence as she caught sight of Kirito and the girl behind him. Shocked into silence, all the blacksmith could do was stare.

The visitors glanced at each other before Felicita took in a breath and a step toward the other girl. "Hey, Lisbeth. Uh . . . Sorry I left. I'm not sure if you want me here, but I'm back now so . . ." There was silence, and Felicita could feel her throat get dry. She had been hoping to make up with the blacksmith today. She was already planning to find the rest of the Timber Wolves. Why not go beyond? "Lisbeth?" Still silence. "Lisbe—."

Suddenly, Felicita was attacked with a tight embrace. She started to say something, but Lisbeth beat her to it. "You idiot. You're always welcome here."

The thief's almond-colored eyes widened for a second before they closed, a smile appearing on her face, as she returned the blacksmith's hug.

A little while later, Felicita was sitting on top of the counter in the back of the shop, swinging her legs like a small child would, and talking to Lisbeth and Kirito. It wasn't the smoothest conversation, it was mostly the blacksmith doing the talking between the three of them, but it wasn't absolutely awkward either. They were catching up and trading stories. Lisbeth talked about her shop and a quest she had had with Kirito, but Felicita didn't share as much. Sure she told Lisbeth a little bit about how she met Kirito the day she stopped coming to see the blacksmith and a few other trivial things, but she didn't go into the dark stuff like her past. Kirito talked about the attack on LC, though he left out the details that pertained to Felicita personally.

Speaking of the Black Swordsman, it had kind of been his idea for her to do this. Felicita had somewhat told Kirito about Lisbeth before, but she hadn't given him a name. Then, yesterday, when Kirito told her about his new blacksmith, Felicita's eyes widened, and Kirito had eventually put the pieces together, realizing that Lisbeth and Felicita knew each other.

"After he left, I realized that the way I met him and the way I met you were similar. It kinda freaked me out a little. You two are a lot alike." Lisbeth marveled, a smirk on her face.

The two solo-players glanced at each other. "Nah. We're nothing alike." They said in unison.

Lisbeth raised an eyebrow. " . . . Right."

"Anyway, I'm glad that you guys are friends again." Kirito said, moving toward the door. "But I gotta go. See you later."

The girl on the counter smirked. "Where are you going, Kirito-kun? On a date with Asuna?"

He spun his head to look at her, a slight blush on his face. "No! I was gonna go look for the next floor boss."

"With Asuna."

"Fel, we're called 'solo-players' for a reason."

"Because you're single and hopeless."

"Shut up." The swordsman complained before shutting the door behind him.

Felicita snickered at his expense.

Lisbeth looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Felicita . . . is it possible that you _like _Kirito."

The thief looked at her questioningly. "You mean, do I _love_ him?"

Lisbeth winced, but nodded. She knew that this might be a rude question.

Felicita laughed a little. "No. He's more like my brother. But I guess I could have liked him that way, if he didn't remind me so much of my sister."

"Your sister?"

The girl nodded, a slight smile on her face. "Yeah. She logged in with me at the start."

This confused Lisbeth. How could her sister have let her go off on her own and become a thief? Maybe something happened between them?

"Where is she now?" Felicita didn't answer, she just turned to look at the blacksmith, that same sad smile on her face. "Oh." Lisbeth said, regretting asking that question as she put the pieces together. "I'm sorry."

There was a slight pause. "Yeah. Me too." Felicita said before turning and looking out the window. "_Those_ two are so alike it's almost scary. They're strong, independent, smart. My sister had a bit more of a temper than Kirito though and she took things a little too seriously. But they both knew the right thing to say and when to say it."

". . . She sounds like a really good person."

" . . . She was."

The pinkette leaned against the counter and held her head up with her hands. "I think I may have to disagree with 'smart' though. Kirito can be kind of an idiot."

Felicita barked out a laugh. "That's true. He can be pretty dense sometimes. He's smart in some respects though. He's resourceful."

Lisbeth nodded, knowing that she had to agree. From what she had seen him do, she couldn't deny that fact. "Why did he bring you into my shop anyway?"

"Well, I told you about how I'm working for the KoB. I can't tell you exactly what it is I'm doing, but I came here to find an informant." Felicita turned to look at the blacksmith. "Lisbeth, I need to ask a favor of you. I know that I'm probably not in a position to do that but . . ."

Lisbeth shook her head. "No. It's ok. Anything."

The thief sighed. "Thanks. I just need you to tell me if you hear something or see someone weird. I figured, since you're a blacksmith with your own shop, you will be able to hear any number if things. A lot of people come through your shop and this town, and word can spread fast. You can even tell me about shady rumors if that's what you hear. Would you do that for me?"

The pinkette smiled. "Sure, no problem. But I have some conditions."

The girl on the counter raised an eyebrow. "This sounds familiar. Alright, shoot."

"One," the blacksmith began, putting up a finger, "you come and see me whenever you're not busy."

". . . Sounds fair."

"Two," another finger rose "you call me 'Liz'."

There was a short pause. Then, a smile spread across Felicita's face. "Good enough for me. We have a deal, Liz." She said, holding out her hand. Lisbeth's smile grew wider as she took the hand, and they shook.

After their hands released each other, Felicita hopped off the counter. "Well, I guess I better be going. I don't want to hold up your business." She said, gesturing to the front door. There were several people peering through the window, trying to figure out why the smith shop was closed in the middle of the day. The petite girl looked at them for a moment. "I think I'll go out the back way." Then, she walked into the back room. But before she disappeared through the doorframe, she turned to look at Lisbeth. "And just so you know, I didn't just come here for an informant. I came to get my friend back. See you around, _Liz._" Then, she was gone.

Lisbeth stared after her, a small smile on her face. She had noticed that Felicita seemed happier than she was when she had known her before. The girl smiled more freely and her hood was down more often. The blacksmith knew that Kirito had something to do with it, but she wasn't sure what he had done. Lisbeth herself had tried for over a _month _to get Felicita to open up, and it seemed like Kirito had done what she had failed to do in less than half that time.

The pinkette shook her head. Those two certainly were something.

* * *

"No-hu-hu-ho!"

"Fel."

"But I don't wanna!"

"That's not what I've come to believe over the last couple months."

"But I already did something like that today! Can I just go home?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"Hmph." Felicita huffed as she was dragged across the square of a town on the 47th floor. A certain Knight was doing the dragging and she wasn't very happy about it. They were going to go see Silica, whom Kirito had finally tracked down for them. It's not that Felicita didn't want to see her, it's just that she was _very _nervous.

"Ryner, hold on."

The Knight looked back at his companion. She had a sort of panicked expression, so he sighed and stopped walking. "What's the matter?"

The thief looked toward the ground. "It's just . . . what if Silica says 'no, I hate you, please go away'?"

Ryner scoffed. "She wouldn't say that to you. Don't worry about it."

The girl looked at him suspiciously. "The way you said that makes it sound like she could say that to_ you_."

"Well I wouldn't be surprised." He said with a sigh. "I shut her out, which is why she and Riku left."

"How do you know if she'll _hate _you? She knows that you acted that way because . . . _she _died. Silica wouldn't hold that against you."

"You know, that logic applies to you too."

"N-No! It's totally different!"

"Oh? How so?"

"W-Well, uh . . ."

Ryner smirked. "You don't have a counter-argument do you?"

"I so do!" The girl fumed.

"If you did, you would be telling me what it was right now."

"But-you-you're an idiot!"

"What? That has nothing to do with this conversation!"

"But you can't deny it, can you?"

"I got into the KoB I will have you know!"

"Yeah . . . that was a mistake on their part."

"Why you—!"

"Ryner-san? Felicita-chan?"

The two of them whirled around, staring at the girl before them like deer in the headlights. Silica was standing there looking surprised and amused at the same time. She hadn't changed much since the last time Felicita saw her. Sure her clothes were different, but her hair was he same, she had the same weapon on her hip, and a certain blue dragon was perched on her shoulder.

"S-Silica." Ryner stuttered.

"Um. Hi." She said with a timid wave. "What are you guys doing here?"

". . . We actually came to see you."

"Really?"

"You didn't know that we were coming? Then how did you find us?" Felicita asked, confused.

The beast tamer giggled. "I could hear you arguing from across the square."

The other two blushed. "Really?"

"Yep. You two haven't changed at all."

It was quiet for a minute, as all of them tried to figure out what to say.

"So . . . can I invite you to come into my apartment?"

"Yes! That would be great!" Felicita said, thankful that the awkward silence had ended. After that, Silica calmly led them across the square and down some streets to her house. It was quiet between the three of them, but it was very tumultuous around them. People were going about their daily business, blacksmiths making weapons, customers trying to haggle with shop keepers. Some of them even greeted Silica merrily as they passed by.

"It isn't much," Silica was saying as they entered the building and walked up the stairs, "but it's my home." At this, she pulled a key out and unlocked the first door they came to.

Felicita looked around in awe at the room. "No, this is great! It's better than my place." This is where she neglected to mention that she was staying at a ratty inn close to the KoB's HQ.

"Can I offer you some tea?" Silica asked politely.

"Sure. That would be great." Ryner said as he looked around.

"Ok. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable!" Their hostess said before she disappeared from the room. Pina stayed behind, however, and came to perch on Felicita's shoulder.

The thief couldn't hold back her smile. "Hey there, Pina. How have you been?" She reached her hand up to the small dragon and it rubbed against her palm affectionately. After a while, it took flight, circled the room once (squawking angrily at Ryner along the way), before following after its master. Ryner and Felicita looked at each other for a moment before laughing and taking seats around a coffee table. To be polite, they took off their armor, cloak, and weapons, storing them in their inventories.

Just then, Silica came back and set a tray onto the table. "So what did you come to see me for?" She asked as she sat down opposite them.

The other two glanced at each other.

"Well . . ." Felicita began. "We just wanted to say . . . uh . . ." She glanced at Ryner again. He gave her a nod before they both stood up to face Silica. Then, as one, they gave her a deep bow.

"We're sorry."

Silica's eyes widened as she glanced between them. "S-Sorry? For what?"

The two of them kept their heads down as Ryner explained. "About ten months ago, after Kinade and Seiji died, I shut you and Riku out and before I knew it I had driven you away."

"I did the same." Felicita muttered, though she could still be clearly heard. "I was being childish and selfish just before I left you guys without so much as a proper good-bye. It's one of my greatest regrets."

Silica began waving her hands in protest. "No, no. It's ok, really. I understand what you guys must have been feeling." At this, the other two straightened up. "But . . . I'm still not happy that you guys left."

"Well . . ." Felicita began nervously.

"We'll do whatever you want." Ryner suddenly offered.

Silica smiled. "Ok, then. I want you to become my friends again." They just looked at her in surprise. "Does that sound ok?"

Felicita suddenly started laughing. "Yeah. That sounds great."

A long conversation ensued. The three of them sat around the table, catching up and telling stories. Felicita tried not to depress them too much with her story, but hearing theirs was really interesting to her anyway, and she soon forgot about her past. She learned how Silica had met Kirito and that now she was still training in dungeons, trying to acquire enough skill to reach the front lines. She didn't feel very confident that she would make it, but she attempts to make progress every day. Felicita found this impressive. Many people nowadays were giving up. Ryner's story was just as interesting. He didn't give much detail, but he told about burning their old guild's house down, soloing, and joining different guilds as he tried to reach the front lines as well. He apologized several times about the house, saying that it wasn't his right to burn it, but Felicita didn't really care. She figured that doing that had some symbolic meaning for Ryner.

"So you both are working with the KoB on the front lines? That's so amazing!"

"I guess." Ryner said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Though, we don't really focus on boss raids that much. People like Asuna take care of that."

"Don't be so modest, Ryner." Felicita teased. "I'm sure that you've contributed quite a lot to boss raids recently."

Ryner was about to say something back, but he was distracted by a sudden orange icon that began to blink in front of him. The three of them eyed it curiously as Ryner opened his menu and accessed his messages. He opened the new message, his eyes scanning it quickly.

Felicita groaned inside; it was probably a message from Toma telling them to get back to work. She was just about to ask Ryner about it when he suddenly stood up.

"Sorry, Silica. Thanks for having us, but we need to go." As the knight said this, he grabbed Felicita's hand and rushed toward the door.

"Uh, ok. Feel free to come back anytime!" Silica yelled after them awkwardly.

"R-Ryner! Slow down! What's going on?" Felicita asked. Ryner didn't answer for a while, he was too busy rushing them out of the apartment building and toward the square where they would be able to teleport. "Ryner!"

He paused briefly to look at her and Felicita was startled by the grim expression he was sporting.

"It's the Laughing Coffin prisoners . . . they're all dead."

**A/N: Well? Please give me feedback and i will see you next chapter (which will hopefully come faster than this one did).**


	24. Chapter 24: Things Lost

Chapter 24: Things Lost

**A/N: Hey guys! So, i forgot to say this last chapter (i apologize) but i finally did get a new cover for this story. MayonataKarasu made it for me and i think it is amazing! What do you think. To me, it looks exactly how i imagine Fel. Well, i hope that after a long wait, this chapter pleases you. **

2024/07/13 _(elapsed time: about two weeks)_

Felicita was starting to get really annoyed. She's been sitting in the bushes for an hour now and nothing's happened. Stupid Kuroshida. His 'tips' could be really aggravating, especially when they were interpreted incorrectly. Why did he always have to be so damn cryptic all the time? It was really getting on her nerves.

She was considering leaving for the nth time when she saw movement from the cave. Suddenly focused, she crouched lower and squinted at it, relying on her virtual skills to tell her what was going on.

A figure appeared from the trees, a short, nervous-looking man. He made his way over to the cave, constantly looking over his shoulder. _Jackpot. A suspicious character. _As soon as he reached the cave, two hooded figures appeared. They were instantly recognized to be part of Laughing Coffin by their masks.

The three of them exchanged a few words, words that Felicita was annoyed to admit that she couldn't hear. They seemed to reach an agreement, because soon after, the nervous man opened what could be assumed was a trading window. Then, a window popped up in front of one of the LC members. It could only be concluded that this man was a supplier of LC, an organization who could not simply waltz into a town and buy a large amount of supplies without being suspected and/or caught.

Evidently, their little meeting was about to disband because one of the cloaked figures was shaking the supplier's hand.

Swiftly, Felicita drew her knives and sped toward them. Normally, she wouldn't have been seen, but the fact that it was broad daylight and she was dealing with red players who probably had very high detection skills did not help.

"Shit. It's the Shadow Thief bitch." One of the red players growled as he noticed her. He pulled out his knife to face her just as his friend pulled out a teleport crystal and the supplier turned to run.

Felicita tried to go after the one that was about to teleport, but his friend rushed her. He was aiming his knife at her abdomen and would have stabbed her if she had not vaulted over him. She looked at the other red player, the one who had taken the supplies. He was saying the floor he wanted to go to. Felicita had to reach him, to stop him. She began to sprint, but was held back by a hand grabbing her ankle. She fell hard onto the ground just as he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Dammit!" Felicita growled as she rolled over to look at her assailant. He was rushing her again, blade pointed at her chest. The girl eyed his attack coldly. Just as he reached her, she stepped inside his thrust and stabbed him in the shoulder with her yellow hilted knife. After passing him, she turned, expecting to see him paralyzed and on the ground. It was shocking for her to see him still standing. He came at her again, and Felicita quickly decided that it was time to change tactics.

As he came in, attempting to strike with a horizontal slash, Felicita blocked it with one knife and stabbed with the other. Her opponent caught her by the wrist, causing them to come to a standstill. Using his body as a spring, Felicita lifted both of her feet and pushed off of him, sending both of them tumbling backward. She landed a bit more gracefully than he did, though, and was able to strike back first.

The thief sprinted at him, slashing his side before he was able to recover in time. His status still seemed unchanged as he slashed downward, cutting her cheek. Annoyed, Felicita slashed again, faster and faster, becoming a blur. The red player couldn't spare any time for offense any longer and was forced to maintain his defensive position. Now it was only a matter of wearing him down, which Felicita accomplished. Soon his endurance ran out and Felicita was able to knock his knife away. It flew into the brush and he was left defenseless.

The girl took the opportunity to rush him, aiming for his now unguarded chest. Her blades were just about to pierce his virtual heart, when she suddenly froze.

Those few seconds of hesitation were all the Laughing Coffin member needed. He quickly grabbed one of her hands before slamming it down onto his knee and jolting the knife out of her hand. Then he grabbed her other hand and angled the blade toward her throat. He was stronger than Felicita was, so the girl had to use two hands to keep the knife away from her. Soon she was backed against a tree and the knife was getting closer to her neck.

The red player paused, probably to gloat, but he never got the opportunity to. Felicita would have liked to say it was because of some ingenious plan that she had thought up at the last second, but that would have been lying. In actuality, it was Ryner. He had rushed up and kicked her assailant in the side, sending him flying into the trees.

"Don't call her a bitch, you asshole." He growled, even though the name-calling had happened earlier.

Felicita blinked. "Ryner?"

He flashed her a peace sign. "Yo."

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay out of sight!"

"Well I didn't listen. It was a good thing too, you almost died."

"I could have handled him."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Sure. Now, before you start yelling at me some more, let me just tell you that I actually did my job. We captured that merchant guy so we can interrogate him later, and I sent some people after that other lowlife. We heard where he was going, but unfortunately he was long gone by the time anyone arrived."

Felicita groaned. "Great. Well at least we got _something._"

"Yep. This time, if we're lucky, Toma will only give us an hour-long scolding opposed to—."

"Hey, you can finish up here, right?"

Ryner blinked. "Yeah. Sure. Why?"

Felicita looked slightly distressed as she continued. "I need to speak with Kuroshida."

"You actually _want _to talk to him?" Ryner asked incredulously.

The girl looked deep in thought. "I have something to ask him about."

The knight eyed her warily. "Ok. Good luck with getting him to say anything useful."

"Thanks." The girl said. "I'll see you later then." She began to walk through the wood and toward the nearby town.

* * *

_What could that have been? _Felicita was currently having a mental conversation with herself as she walked toward the KoB HQ. She was in Grandzam, and the large building was in sight, looming over everything else. _It was almost as if I were slashing him with normal blades. Could he have just recovered quickly? _A vision of Agate flashed through her mind._ Maybe . . . I need to confirm that._

She was at the large entrance now, absently moving her hand up to open the doors.

"Stop right there."

Felicita looked up, and was greeted by the sight of two guards blocking her way, their swords drawn. She blinked. "What's the problem here, guys?"

They didn't answer her, but glared instead, and Felicita got the sick feeling that she knew exactly what was going on.

"Are you kidding me right know? This is ridiculous! I _work_ for your guild! Now let me through."

"We are bound by duty to not let you pass."

"That's bullshit! _Now let me in!" _She yelled.

One of the guards flinched and Felicita felt a pang go through her chest. She screwed up.

"Just . . . let me through." She muttered, pushing passed them and going through the doors. She stalked through, ignoring their protests, and headed straight to Kuroshida's room. Once there, she slammed the door shut behind her and glared at the imprisoned former red player.

"Having guild troubles?" He asked casually.

"I didn't ask you!" The thief snapped.

"I told you. They think you're a monster."

"Shut up."

"How ungrateful of them. I mean, they only saw you kill one man and now they're afraid of you. Yet, I'm pretty sure that they've done the same. Don't you feel angry or resentful? Hurt? After all that you did to help them and this is how they repay you? And just after one incident?"

Felicita yelled in frustration and kicked over the chair that she was supposed to be sitting on. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!"

At this, Kuroshida shut his mouth, looking at her expectantly.

In the silence, Felicita breathed heavily, attempting to regain her composure. Why the hell did it matter? Why did any of it matter, especially to _him? _Finally, she said through gritted teeth. "You know that's not why I came here."

"Of course not. Now, what do you need me to answer for you?"

The girl sighed and leaned forward against the table, bracing herself with her hands. "Today, we found some of them trying to get supplies. We captured one, along with the supplier, but the third got away."

". . . Alright."

"But that's not what's concerning me. I fought one, and he didn't seem to be affected by my blades at all." There was a pause as the girl waited for a reply, but Kuroshida was silent and it really ticked Fel off. "Well?"

"I had a feeling he would do this." The man finally said. He eyed Felicita for a second. "Because you and the Knights of the Blood Oath protected me so well, I will be a little more forthcoming this time." He said, referring to when LC had somehow snuck in and killed the other prisoners.

Speaking of that, no one knew exactly how it was done. There was a lot of speculation as to methods of breaking in and slipping the prisoners poison or simply killing them off, but no one could come up with a perfect explanation. Felicita, on the other hand, along with Kirito and Asuna, had been quietly discussing among themselves the possibility that the mole was responsible.

Kuroshida sat back in his seat to speak. "A few weeks before you and the KoB attacked, we higher-ups were discussing whether or not to obtain certain items."

"Items?" Fel asked.

There was a nod. "Ones that could cancel out status inhibitors. Our main reason for wanting them was you. With these items, we could prevent capture by paralysis. But there was a problem with that. How could we get enough for the entire guild? The items aren't exactly rare, but they don't come in great abundance. We didn't reach a decision in time for your little raid, but you are probably already aware that at least one of us had already made the decision to obtain one of these items for himself."

It barely took a second for Felicita to realize who Kuroshida was referring to. "Agate."

"Yes. And you also saw how that affected the outcome of a single battle."

Oh Felicita saw it all right, as plain as day.

"Now I assume that our leader has come up with some kind of solution. I can't really tell you anything beyond that besides speculation. They could have found out some way to supply everyone, but knowing that Laughing Coffin has a large number of members, that's unlikely. A more probable solution would have been to supply the more prominent members of the guild with them and give magic crystals to everyone else, but red players aren't known for their teamwork so that would be pointless and a waste of resources."

Felicita thought this over for a second. "That was very insightful." She muttered. "You're actually useful when you put your mind to it. Not to mention talkative."

"Why thank you, Shadow Thief. I'm flattered."

"Sure thing." She said dully. "Well it was _lovely _chatting with you, but I need to get going." She started toward the door.

"Of course. I'm sure that you are very busy." Kuroshida mused. "Until next time."

As Felicita opened the door, putting one foot through the doorframe, a thought struck her.

"Hey." She said, turning to look at the Laughing Coffin member. He met her gaze evenly. "Since you're being so 'forthcoming' today, do you think you could tell me anything about 'your leader' while you're at it?"

He eyed her for a moment, his expression pensive, but otherwise hard to read. Fel knew it was a long shot, Kuroshida had made it very clear that he wouldn't give too much information, lest he be mysteriously murdered in the middle of the night.

Finally, to the thief's surprise, he spoke three words.

"His name's PoH."

* * *

Felicita was walking through the KoB HQ, intent to leave, but caught up in her own thoughts at the moment.

_PoH? That's the name of Laughing Coffin's leader? What kind of name _is_ that? I wouldn't expect that to be the name of any criminal, let alone a red player. It's not anything scary or intimidating like 'Kira'. What's PoH even like anyway? He's probably scary as hell. And what am I going to do about those items? I probably can't rely on paralysis anymore._

The thief thought like this for about fifteen minutes, not realizing that she was outside and halfway across town until a shout broke her out of her reverie. She blinked, briefly looking about at her surroundings in mild confusion. _When the hell did I get here?_

"Excuse me!" A girl about Fel's height came running up to her, panting heavily. The girl in gray just watched her as she came up and stopped a few feet away, bending over with her hands on her knees.

"Uh, can I help you?"

"You're . . . the Shadow Thief. Right?" The girl asked between breaths.

"Yep. Thief of the Shadows at your service."

The girl looked up at her, and Fel was startled to see tears brimming her eyes. "I need your help."

"Hey, hey." Felicita tried (though very awkwardly) to soothe the other girl as best she could as she started crying in short gasps. Fel was never very good with people (crying people in particular). "W-Why don't we, uh, go into KoB headquarters where it's safe and we'll talk there?" The girl simply nodded through her tears as Felicita put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the building in question. They went back the way Fel had come, passing staring people and the guards again, whom the thief glared at as they passed, and went in to find a room to themselves.

After Felicita found a nice, empty room, she set the other girl down in a chair and gave her a drink from her inventory. As the girl took calming sips, her host eyed her curiously, wanting to question her, but giving her time to settle down.

When a few minutes had passed and the girl was considerably calmer, Fel spoke. "Are you feeling better now?"

There was a small nod.

"Can you tell me your name?"

". . . A-Akane."

Felicita nodded. "Akane, what happened to you? Why did you come to _me _for help?"

The girl remained quiet.

"It's ok. Take your time."

There was another nod, a little more vigorous this time, and after a moment the girl took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I-I just thought that you were the best person to go to."

"Don't worry about it." The thief assured her. "Let's just focus on your problem for right now."

". . . Well. Everyone knows that you work with the KoB's enforcement division and you're working to take out Laughing Coffin."

Felicita felt a pit form in her stomach. "So this is about Laughing Coffin?"

Akane nodded. "My boyfriend and I were doing a quest on Floor 36. We . . . we were walking through the mountains on our way back home and suddenly we were attacked. They all had gray cloaks and masks and they . . . they said that we were trespassing." At this, a fresh set of tears began to roll down Akane's cheeks. "I-I tried to stop them but they grabbed Hunter and killed him!" The girl's hands went to cover her face as she sobbed again. "They tried to kill me next! They grabbed me and stabbed me, but I pushed the guy away from me and before I knew it I had fallen off a cliff . . . I'm pretty sure that they think I'm dead but I'm just so scared that they'll find me!" At this point, Akane had broken down again, unable to say anymore.

Felicita on the other hand was absolutely livid. _Those bastards! Victimizing people who didn't even deserve it. Akane was having a perfectly happy life in Aincrad, and as rare as that is, Laughing Coffin had to ruin it! They just have to ruin everything didn't they? Well at least I can get them now. I know where they're hiding. _

The thief slammed her palms onto the table, startling the crying girl across from her. "Akane." She stated firmly. "I swear to you that I will get the bastards who killed Hunter. I just need you to tell me exactly where they attacked you."

* * *

"Is this it?" Ryner asked, looking around at the snowy landscape. There was nothing but snow and rock as far as the eye could see.

"Apparently." Felicita replied, looking down at her map. "This is where Akane says she was attacked."

"This is actually a really good spot for them to hide." Toma mused, looking around. "If they found a cave or something then that would be perfect."

"The question is 'where are they exactly'." Ryner said thoughtfully.

"Fel, where are you going?" Kirito asked in alarm. Everyone turned to see the little thief rushing off around the mountainside.

"Dammit." Toma muttered in annoyance as everyone took off after her. He and the whole defense division had come along, including some volunteers, in the hopes of finally eradicating Laughing Coffin.

Kirito was at the front of the group, closely followed by Ryner as they ran after their friend. They didn't get very far though. They only ran for about a minute before Kirito ran into Felicita's outstretched arm, Ryner bumping right into him.

"There's a cave." She said quietly, looking around the rock face. "Ryner, tell Toma to take half the squad and circle around."

The knight nodded, putting up his hand to signal his commanding officer. As the KoB members got into position, Kirito and Felicita surveyed the area. The cave looked pretty secluded with only one path to get to it, so it would be hard to find on accident. And if anyone did indeed find it without knowing what it was, they would think it was just another cave. But that wouldn't stop them from entering. Knowing Laughing Coffin, this cave was probably just one of many entrances into a large, deadly labyrinth.

After a while, Ryner nodded to Felicita, signaling that they were ready. She nodded back before turning to face the cave once again, her knives unsheathed. On Toma's signal, everyone charged into the black void of the cavern.

* * *

"There's no one here."

"Are you sure?" Asuna asked. "Did you check every cave and tunnel?"

"Yes ma'am." Toma said in reply. "We went to the end of every tunnel and even sent squads to check nearby valleys and towns. Laughing Coffin isn't here."

"Dammit!" Felicita yelled loudly from the other side of the cave.

"Fel." Kirito said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. Calm down."

The petite girl whirled on him, affectively knocking his hand away. "Don't tell me to calm down! How am I supposed to? He's just toying with me!"

"Fel." Kirito tried again.

"No! Shut up! Just shut up, Kirito!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at the two solo-players. Felicita glared at Kirito and for a moment, a look of hurt shock flashed across his face. Fel's insides froze when she realized what she had said and to whom. She briefly opened her mouth, trying to say something, anything, but no words came to her and she ended up closing it again. Then, without another word, Felicita left the cave in solitude.

**A/N: I feel like I'm losing my touch. Am I? And anyway, did you get my Kira reference. it's from "Death Note" but you don't really need to know the anime to see why "Kira" is scary. For the Japanese, it's sounds like the English word "killer". Well, anyway, review and i will see you next chapter!**


	25. Chapter 25: Demons

Chapter 25: Demons

**A/N: Hi! I know i take a long time. School is stupid. Anyway, hope you enjoy this and i will see you at the bottom!**

_2024/07/16 (elapsed time: two days)_

"Alright. Is everyone here?" Asuna asked, looking at the group gathered around her. They were in a sort of briefing room, sitting in chairs at a large round table.

"Fel's not here." Ryner muttered from his seat.

"Well where is she?"

"She said she had personal business to attend to." Kirito cut in.

Asuna was quiet for a minute, pensively observing the empty chair between the two boys. "I guess she can be excused today. I'll message her about the main points." She briefly looked around at everyone gathered, who were mostly the prominent members of the defense division. "Ok. I now call this meeting to order. Toma, if you would brief us on what you've gathered?"

Toma nodded. Placing a mirage-sphere on the table, he began to speak. "Over the past six months, we have been successful in subduing many criminal guilds and red-players, but there are still many left that are causing problems for the people in Aincrad. On top of that, new 'problems' pop up seemingly by the day. The majority of these guilds are composed of petty thieves and troublemakers, but our main concern are the murder guilds, Laughing Coffin in particular." The mirage-sphere was on now, and Toma was pointing out sections of Aincrad as he mentioned them. "Criminal guilds seem to be active on the floors with the most players living on them. This means Floors 1-30. However, we have discovered that the more prominent guilds are moving to higher floors. Just recently, we received a report that members of Laughing Coffin were spotted on Floor 36 in this area here. We acted immediately, but were unable to find them."

"If I may say something," Kirito said, raising his hand, "In my opinion, we took too long to organize. If we had arrived even a minute earlier, we could have gotten a result of some kind. We need a way to react to these situations without too much hassle."

Asuna nodded thoughtfully. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm glad you asked. I was thinking that we come up with a team and a list of names and guilds that promise to participate in taking down Laughing Coffin. That way, we can assemble in less time while not having to worry about who to invite."

"Is this team only being formed with the purpose of taking down Laughing Coffin, or will it be used for other red guilds as well?" Toma asked.

"If need be, it will be used to take out other guilds. But my thinking is that, if we take out the largest and most influential guild, then the others will lose confidence, eventually collapsing and disbanding on their own."

"I could see that working." Toma mused.

"Alright. We'll begin creating this subjugation force immediately. I want everyone to invite players and guilds who they know to be trustworthy and powerful enough to handle something like this. I don't want innocent people dying." Asuna had her arms and legs crossed, looking business-like. "Onto other matters, have we learned anything specific about our targets?"

Toma nodded to Ryner and sat down. The other knight stood up to speak his part.

"We haven't learned much about the smaller guilds. Mostly, we've just had reported sightings. But we _have _gleaned a lot about Laughing Coffin recently. We have nothing on their location, but weinterrogated some people on their nature. There's that merchant we arrested a couple days ago that was a supplier to LC, and he informed us about some of the other suppliers he knew. We have also been getting tips from Kuroshida about the guild itself, though half of what he says leads to dead ends. More recently, he was able to tell us with certainty that LC has acquired items that negate status inhibitors and that the name of their leader is PoH."

It was silent for a moment, as everyone let that sink in.

"Has anyone ever seen or heard of this 'PoH' before?" Asuna queried.

Everyone glanced at each other. Some shook their heads.

Asuna sighed. "Ok. That's enough for this week. Keep me informed on any developments. Dismissed." With that, everyone stood up to leave. "Not you, Ryner. We need to talk."

Said knight looked up to see Asuna and Kirito still sitting down. " . . . Alright." He said after a while, walking over and taking a seat closer to them. When everyone was gone and the door was shut, Ryner finally asked "What's this about?"

"We need to talk about Felicita." Asuna said quietly.

A pit formed in the knight's stomach. ". . . Ok."

"You've noticed how different she is recently, right? How distant?" Kirito asked, his tone serious.

Ryner nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't speak as freely anymore. She's even started wearing her hood up again."

"Do you have any idea why?"

Ryner's eyebrows furrowed. "No. Don't you?"

Kirito sighed and shook his head.

"That's what we need you to find out." Asuna said.

"What?" asked her subordinate, looking confused.

The Lightning Flash sighed. "We're worried about her, Ryner. We need you to see what's bothering her."

"Why me? I mean, if anything _you're _closer to her." He said, speaking to Kirito.

"Maybe." Kirito said, though he didn't look like he believed it. "But _you've _known her longest. Besides, I don't think I'm the person she wants to talk to right now." He said this last part so quietly, the other two in the room barely heard him.

"Alright then." Ryner said after a while. "What do you want me to do?"

Asuna and Kirito glanced at each other.

"Well, there's no right way of doing this." Asuna began. "But we were thinking that you could talk to her, spend time with her. See if you can make her open up a bit."

". . . I guess I could try that."

"Good." Here, Asuna stood up. "I'm giving you and Felicita the rest of the day off, and if you need it, tomorrow as well. I'm not expecting you to get everything out of her, just get things started."

* * *

Ryner knew that it wasn't going to work from the start. He wasn't clever or sneaky when it came to tactical maneuvering, he was mostly a direct and upfront kind of person. He liked to face things head on. So tailing Felicita and Akane to find out where they were going _definitely_ wasn't going to work out for him.

First, he had asked around the guild, trying to find out where the former thief had gone. When no one could help him, Ryner had trudged dejectedly out of HQ only to run straight into the girl he had been searching for. He had walked out the front doors without really paying attention and had _literally_ bumped into her before rushing back in before she could tell who it had been. After a few minutes of staring out of a window overhead, watching the girl in gray just stand there, Ryner saw another girl run up to Felicita. The two greeted each other before leaving together in the direction of the center of town. As the two walked away, Ryner was surprised to realize that the girl with Fel was Akane, the girl that had come in a few days ago begging for help. He briefly wondered what they were doing before trailing after them.

Eventually the two led him to the square were the teleportation dais was located. He barely caught them saying the name of a town on Floor 36 before they disappeared in a flash of light. Ryner's eyebrows furrowed. Floor 36 was the floor that Akane had been attacked on. After a minute of waiting, Ryner teleported after them so they wouldn't be there when he arrived. He really hoped that he wouldn't get caught as he walked toward the snowy mountain range, pulling on his fur cloak as he did so, but of course, the universe ignored his pleas.

* * *

Ryner was starting to despair a little as he rounded a corner. He hasn't seen any sign of Felicita or Akane for almost half an hour now. He really wasn't cut out for this spy stuff, but really, how else could he learn what Fel was up to without getting a violent reply.

Apparently there was absolutely no way on Earth he could have avoided the violence because as he stepped around the corner, gravity suddenly switched off and he seemed to be upside-down. It was like slow motion as he flipped and suddenly fell head-first into the snow. He landed hard and it took him a second to actually register what he was seeing before he knew what it was. Standing over him were two girls. One was dressed in a gray cloak, her hood was up and her eyebrow was raised at him as if asking 'really?' The other girl wore red attire and looked down at him with worriedly.

Ryner blinked up at them for a few seconds.

"What are you doing here, Ryner?" Felicita asked in a bored tone.

The knight smiled sheepishly. "Hey, Fel. Akane. How's it going?"

"Are you ok?" Akane asked, grabbing Ryner's hand and helping him up.

"Yeah." Ryner grunted. "I'm fine. I'm more than used to Fel's _unique _greetings by now."

"You're avoiding my question." Felicita deadpanned.

". . . Right. Well I was, uh, nearby and I saw you guys and—"

"You're a sucky liar."

The boy hung his head in shame. "Yeah. I know. How'd you figure out I was following you?"

Felicita smirked, but it didn't look as teasingly condescending as it should have. "I'm a master thief. You think that amateurs could outwit me?"

Ryner smiled back in an attempt to keep the atmosphere light. "I suppose not."

"So tell me, why _are_ you here?"

The boy clad in red and white thought about his options for a minute.

_Tell the truth and get punched in the gut or tell a lie and get punched in the face?_

After careful consideration, he finally decided that a half-truth was best.

"I wanted to tag along?"

After a second, the girl sighed and turned so that she faced the road ahead. "I guess you could make yourself useful. Just keep up and don't get in the way." As she finished, she began to walk down the path. Akane trailed after her and it took Ryner a second to process what she had said before jogging to catch up.

"Thanks . . . I guess." It was silent for a minute and all the three of them could hear was their shoes crunching the snow and the wind whistling, gently sending snowflakes spiraling to the ground.

"So what are you guys here for?"

"I should have added to keep quiet." Felicita mused loudly.

Akane skipped the insults and gave Ryner a small smile. "We're going to that cave to look for any clues on Laughing Coffin."

The knight's eyes widened. "What? But we were just there a few days ago."

"Something wasn't sitting right with me." Felicita mumbled in response. "And anyway, Akane was insisting on trying to find the people who attacked her."

"Really?" Ryner asked in awe. Akane gave him a sheepish nod. "That's really brave of you, Akane."

"Thank you, but I don't really think it's all that brave. I just want to help prevent other people from getting hurt."

"Well that's a good thing to—"

"Sh" Felicita hissed at him.

"Rude." He shot at her. "I was just—"

"Sh!" Came a much louder hiss. The thief was pointing at a dark abyss in the side of the mountain. "We're here, baka. Keep quiet. We don't know what we could be up against." Felicita took one more look around before heading out. "Get you're weapons ready."

Akane and Ryner nodded, pulling out their halberd and longsword respectively. Cautiously, the group of three entered the cave, scanning the darkness for anything unusual. When nothing obvious appeared, they crept deeper into the cavern.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Ryner hissed.

Felicita glared at him for silence. "Anything that's not supposed to be here."

"Right." Ryner muttered, glancing around with his sword drawn. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him. He turned around, to ask Akane if she saw anything. He was a little concerned for her. She had just had a bad experience with Laughing Coffin, yet still wanted to face them head on to stop them. She must be really scared.

Apparently there was no need for concern. Ryner had turned to look at Akane, ready to whisper, when suddenly he registered the fact that there was something sticking out of his abdomen. He stared in shock at the hilt. His eyes traveled to the hand, passed the wrist, up the arm to the face of Akane. She grinned at him, an evil glint to her eye as she pulled the blade out. After a moment, Ryner tried to move, but found him unable to do so. He glanced at the paralysis symbol that appeared beside his health bar as he toppled to the floor. As his entire body made contact with the ground, Ryner could only find the strength to say one thing:

"Fel, run."

It had come out strained, so Felicita didn't understand what he said nor the urgency with which he said it.

"What do you want now?" She snapped, but froze when she saw Akane smirking at her as she brandished a knife, Ryner on the ground behind her.

Felicita was speechless for a few seconds. "A-Akane, what—?"

"Good work." A voice echoed from the darkness.

Akane's face lit up as several figures appeared. "You really think so?" She asked hopefully as she pranced over to the man in the center. He patted her head as she reached him.

"Of course. You did quite well, my little actress."

Akane smiled wider as she was showered with affection. Felicita's and Ryner's eyes widened in fear and realization as they watched the scene before them. All of the newcomers wore the signature cloaks and masks of a certain murder guild.

"Laughing Coffin." Felicita growled, pulling out her knives as she stepped protectively between Ryner and the red players. As she did this, she and Ryner noticed the wall of people that had appeared between them and the exit.

The man petting Akane ceased his affectionate actions to turn toward the girl in gray. He didn't say anything in answer to her comment. Instead, he said two simple words:

"It's Showtime."

Immediately players left and right rushed at Felicita. Her stomach lurched as they pounced at her. She spun around in a one-eighty so that she was behind one of them, and elbowed him, adding to his momentum and sending him across the cave. She kept up her momentum so that she completed her spin, sweeping her leg out. She tripped another criminal and twirled up into a standing position. Soon she was like a spinning top, slicing her blades in a whirlwind. There were so many of them, it was hard to keep up. She blurred slightly. Now, only the people around her could tell where she was and not what she was doing, only that players were falling left and right.

Ryner still laid on the ground, immobile and absolutely helpless. It pissed him off, seeing what was going on and not being able to do anything. He couldn't help. He couldn't protect himself. He couldn't protect her.

Felicita grimaced as more people came at her. She was afraid, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She was afraid that they would defeat her. That she wouldn't be able to win against them. They outnumbered her, out-powered her. The outcome was in their favor.

She briefly glimpsed Ryner on the ground. He was just lying there, watching the battle with a furious look on his face. She knew how he was feeling. It was the same as how she felt back then, when she was too weak to even fight on her own, to give a fight her all and not screw up. Seeing him down there reminded her of her weakness, her fear that one day she really won't be able to do anything.

_Think of your fear in a different perspective. If you're afraid, think of it as conviction._

Suddenly, Kirito's words came back to her. Having that fear would cause her to crumble, but I if she turned it into something else, the pressure would cease to crush her, but instead push her up, cause her to rise and do what she knew needed to be done.

Her grip on her weapons tightened. She couldn't give up. She could _not_ afford to lose. Ryner was _there_, he was _counting on her_ to get him out of there. Only _she _could save his life.

_I will not give up. You will not _beat_ me. You will not _kill _me! YOU WILL NOT KILL HIM!_

With an angry swipe of her knives, Felicita flung back multiple enemies onto the floor away from her. Some shattered on impact, others dissipated in midair. The girl in the middle was breathing heavily at this point, but there was no way she was backing down.

The remaining Laughing Coffin members were getting back up, preparing to attack again.

"Stop."

Everyone looked up at the man who was obviously the leader.

"That's all for now." With a lazy flick of his wrist, he sent his underlings away. Felicita just glared at him warily as he neared her. "I apologize for this meeting, Shadow Thief, but I wanted to meet you in person. I also wanted to test you, to see if you had gotten soft since leaving us. I can see now that you are still a formidable foe." He stopped a few meters away from her. "I don't know if you have heard of me or not, but my name is PoH."

Felicita's eyes widened.

"So you_ have _heard of me. Did Kuroshida inform you of my identity?" There was no response, but he seemed to get his answer from the silence. He sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised. He was always one to worry more about self-preservation than anything else." After a moment, he turned on the spot and walked back into the darkness. "Send him my regards for me would you? In the meantime, I will look forward to our next encounter. I believe that it will be quite interesting."

Then he was gone, the darkness swallowing him along with his guild. Felicita stood there for a long time, eyeing the darkness with narrowed eyes to make sure no one was coming back. Then, she rushed over to Ryner with an antidote crystal. Once the item shattered, Ryner attempted to lift himself into the sitting position. He watched as Felicita wandered across the cave, staring into the dark void that Laughing Coffin had disappeared into.

To Ryner's shocked surprise, Felicita kicked a boulder and sent it flying. The rock smashed into the wall and shattered, dissipating in little polygons.

"Dammit! I _knew _they were screwing with me!" She yelled. In fury, she walked to the nearest wall and slammed her fist into it. An 'immortal object' notification popped up at the impact but Felicita ignored it as she hit the rock again. After each agitated beep with no signs of inflicting any damage, Felicita yelled in frustration and pulled out one of her knives. She thrust the blade at the wall, only to have it glance off with a high-pitched _'shing!'_

"Fel!"

The thief stopped abruptly, staring at the wall as if just noticing what she was doing. Ryner just looked on in silence, not knowing what to do. His friend just looked so upset and angry . . . it scared him a little. But he wasn't scared _of _her. He was scared _for _her.

The girl's arms went limp, the grip on her weapon slackened and it soon clattered to the floor. Without a word, she walked in the direction of the exit. It took Ryner a few seconds to gather his wits before scooping up the fallen weapon and following her.

As soon as the knight reached the mouth of the cave, he saw her. She was just standing a few meters away, her dark form greatly contrasting with the pure white of the landscape. Her back was too him, so Ryner had no idea what she was feeling as he slowly walked closer to her.

"I'm scared of myself, Ryner."

The boy stopped a few feet behind her, surprised by her statement. "What do you mean?"

It was silent for a minute as Felicita gathered her thoughts. "I'm scared of myself, of what I might end up doing. I'm scared of what I might be becoming."

She felt a presence at her shoulder. "Why?" came the simple question.

Her fists clenched tightly by her sides. "Because of what I've already done."

Ryner suddenly walked around to face her. "Do you mean from your stealing days? Because I'm pretty sure that those are behind you."

The girl's almond-colored eyes had a hard time meeting his. "It's not just that . . . I've killed people Ryner—"

"If you're talking about Seiji and Kinade—"

She suddenly looked up at him and he was surprised to see angry tears in her eyes. "No! It's not that either! I still feel bad about it but . . ." She trailed of slightly as she impatiently rubbed the water from her eyes. "I've done worse. I've _killed_ people. You have no idea. I just killed those players and at Christmas last year I killed a bunch of soldiers!"

"That was only because they _attacked _you and today you were _protecting me! _You didn't have a choice!"

"But I didn't _feel_ anything! I felt _nothing _as I ran my blades through their bodies! I'm a monster!" Ryner didn't know what to say to her before she spoke again. "And that night at the raid, in the castle on Floor 17, while you were . . . before Klein revived you . . . I killed Agate. I killed him in cold blood. You didn't see how . . . _scary _I was. He was just standing there, not even holding his sword and all I could feel was hatred. I wanted to _stab_ him, run my blade through his chest and see the light leave his eyes . . . He said that he would destroy me and he was right. He made me just like him."

They stood there in silence. Neither one of them saying or doing anything. Felicita could feel herself crumbling, her walls were crashing down and she was exposing the weakness that she despised so much. She hated it. She hated herself for showing her vulnerability.

"I can feel it. Whenever I'm in battle. I'm so tempted to kill and—"

"You're wrong."

Felicita looked back up at Ryner. He glared down at her determinedly. "You're not like him. You're no monster."

She almost laughed. "You don't understand—"

"No, _you _don't understand!" The knight said, taking a step toward her. "You're not crazy or sadistic and you're _definitely _not a monster! You say that you didn't feel anything when you killed those people. Well obviously you did because you're beating yourself up over it now."

"Well what about, Agate? I murdered him! I hated him so I killed him. I felt no compassion at all!"

For a few seconds, there was nothing but the sound of her heavy breathing.

"If that's true, then why are you crying about it?"

Felicita blinked, suddenly registering her blurry vision. Before she could say anything, Ryner pulled her into an embrace. He tucked her head under his chin and held her close to him. All the girl could do was stand there, her eyes wide and her body frozen, and not by the cold.

"You obviously felt something. And even if you killed Agate out of hatred, you feel remorseful now. You're no monster. Humans make mistakes, but afterwards, they regret their actions and try to make up for it. Monsters do despicable things without a care in the world, and you obviously care."

Ryner continued to hold her as they stood there, the snow falling around them. After a while, Felicita brought her arms up to return Ryner's hug, burying her face in his front.

How could he say these things? How could _anyone _in Sword Art Online have such a positive mindset like this? This game was a living hell, and yet he still had the capacity to acknowledge that genuine human beings still existed?

Out of the corner of her eye, Felicita glimpsed the fallen snow shining in the sunlight.

_He's so blinding he outshines the snow._

The knight looked down at the ground as he continued to comfort the girl in his arms. It was so sad that a girl as amazing as this had so many insecurities. She was so strong and stubborn as she kept up a façade to hide her vulnerable side, but there was only so much one person could handle, especially someone as small as her. She kept beating and berating herself over things that she did wrong, things that she regretted, and before long, she was falling apart at the seams. It was a lot for one person to handle alone. Trying to live life by yourself hurt. It_ hurt_, and it gave a person less reasons to smile, to be happy. Ryner knew that firsthand.

He briefly looked at the sky in the distance.

_Mom, you wanted me to smile, to be happy. That's all you ever wanted. Well I think I found my reason._

As he thought this, he held the girl tighter, not ever wanting to let go. He stood there calmly, taking in the world as he saw it. The contrast between the pure white snow and the darkly dressed girl in his arms stuck out the most. She stood out against the whiteness, her dark nature stood out amongst the monochrome of the world. It was a startling contrast, but Ryner smiled, thinking that it held a certain beauty to it.

**A/N: So i got a review saying that a second love-interest was possible for Felicita. The only ones i can see that are possible are KiritoxFelicita and RynerxFelicita. Is that the same for you guys? I just want to be sure.**

**Anyway, this chapter was a good character/relationship development one. I thought it was interesting to develop the difference between monsters and humans because there is a difference despite what people think of themselves or each other.**

**Well, review to tell me how i did and i will see you next update!**


	26. Chapter 26: Luck and Idiocy

**A/N: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! To me and Fel, anyway. A year ago today, was the day i posted the first chapter to this story! AND it marks my being a continuously active member/writer on this site for an entire year. I consider that a great accomplishment considering i never gave up on my writing. And congrats to Fel for existing for an entire year :)**

Chapter 26: Luck and Idiocy

_2024/07/18 (elapsed time: two days)_

"Ryner, wait!"

The knight looked back at the little thief in exasperation. "Fel, come on! We've talked about this."

"I know we did!" The girl snapped, planting her foot firmly on the ground. "I just—"

"No one hates you, if that's what you were thinking."

"They still do, Ryner, but that's not really what worries me." The girl shook her head and turned her face towards the ground. "I'm really just afraid that _he _hates me."

The knight contemplated the girl's words as he looked down at her. She stood there, not moving as agitated thoughts continued to swirl around in her head.

_His opinion really meant that much to her, huh?_

Sighing, Ryner placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "You guys have known each other for how long? I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

Felicita pouted slightly. "How can you be so sure?"

The knight shrugged. "Well, I've known you for longer and _I _don't hate you."

The thief frowned in thought at that. _Was it _really_ that simple?_

Ryner nudged her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go." He urged her, walking ahead. After a few paces, the boy looked back to check if she was following him. Of course, she wasn't. She was just standing there, that doubtful expression still on her face. With a sigh, Ryner turned around and walked back over to her. Filled with purpose, he stopped directly in front of her, grabbed her hand, and began to walk again, dragging the girl along behind him.

Felicita blinked at his forcefulness and looked down at their entwined hands. His hand was a bit larger than hers, and seemed to almost engulf her petite one. But it looked… natural, somehow. And it felt that way too. His skin was warm, maybe a little rough, but holding it just gave the girl a sort of secure feeling.

It was a lot of data considering they were just pixels.

The two of them continued to walk along the streets of Grandzam, their boots clopping against the cobblestone as they went. They were on their way to find a certain someone. A certain darkly-dressed, antisocial someone who tended to keep to himself. They were on their way to find the Black Swordsman, the one and only Kirito.

Felicita wasn't really looking forward to the upcoming encounter with the boy she considered to be her older brother, but she knew that she had to see him. She had to do it and she _wanted to…_ She was just afraid of what was going to happen.

_Dammit, there's that feeling again, _Felicita cursed inside her mind. She took a deep breath, recalling her new mindset. She had to turn her fear into something else. She had to redirect it to benefit her, keep it from dragging her down. Unconsciously, she gripped Ryner's hand a little tighter.

Finally, the two of them reached the large building known as KoB HQ. Ignoring the guards at the front, Ryner pushed the doors open, dragging the girl behind him. Once they were inside, the two of them stopped in the center of the room and looked around.

Felicita did a three-sixty, or at least, the best one she could while still holding Ryner's hand. She didn't see anyone, which wasn't good, considering her courage was already deflating.

"Ok. No one's here. Let's leave." The thief said hurriedly as she headed back toward the door.

"Wait a minute!" Ryner used his weight to pull on her hand, preventing her from gaining any more ground. "Where are you going?"

Felicita whirled on him, pulling back with her own weight, which really didn't help much so she relied on her virtually acquired strength. "I said, I'm leaving! He's not here, ok! This was a bad idea!"

"No! It's not! You barely looked around!"

There was more struggling as the two of them played tug-of-war with their arms as the rope. If they had been in the real world, they probably would have pulled some joints out of their sockets with the force they were using. There was a bunch of grunting and yelling coming from them, and it could easily have been said that the whole building could hear them.

"…Fel?"

The thief and the knight ceased their struggles, seeming to freeze in place as they stared, wide-eyed, at the place where the voice had come from. Not too far away from them, was Kirito. He just stood there, his dark eyes blinking as he stared at them doing… whatever they had been doing.

"K-Kirito."

"Uh… Hey." He waved awkwardly.

The other two stood up straight, looking at him.

"…Hi." The petite girl said, just as stiffly.

For a brief second, Kirito's eyes fixated on something in between the two of them: their interlocked hands.

The knight and the thief seemed to notice this, and quickly let go of each other, their faces burning.

A small smile appeared on Kirito's lips. "So. How's it going?"

Instead of answering verbally, Felicita's almond-colored eyes snapped to his onyx ones. Their intensity caught the swordsman's attention, so he stared back. They stood there for a long time, just staring at each other, reading each other's faces. Ryner watched on in silence, trying to decipher this unspoken communication between them.

After what felt like an eternity, Felicita began to tremble. Without warning, she rushed forward and crashed into Kirito, her arms wrapping around his middle.

"I'm sorry, Kirito." She muttered into his shirt, her hands were fisted tightly into the back of his coat. "I'm so sorry."

Surprised, Kirito just stood there for a second, his arms in the air by his sides, but after a while of feeling her small, warm body trembling against him, he smiled gently and returned her embrace.

"It's ok, Fel." He assured her, looking down at the top of her head. "It's ok."

The girl just shook her head and leaned back so she could look up at him. "No. No, it's not. After… after everything you helped me with, everything that's happened, I-I just pushed you away. How could I do that? You've done so much for me and I—"

"Hey." The boy said, stopping her midsentence. "It's fine, really. I'm just glad that you're talking to me again."

The girl just looked at him, searching his face once more. In the end, however, she smiled and hugged him again. After a minute of making up with her older brother figure, Felicita let go of him.

"Wait. So what are you doing here? I didn't even know if you would be here or not."

"Uh…" The swordsman glanced behind her awkwardly. Felicita furrowed her eyebrows before following his gaze.

"…Ryner?"

Said teen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah. I messaged him."

The girl blinked. "You did?"

"Haha… yeah. I knew that this was kind of important to you. I just wanted to make sure… y'know."

"…Aw. That was sweet." The girl finally teased, going up to him to pat his hair. "Thanks, Ryner."

He just narrowed his eyes at her, faking annoyance.

Once the girl was done, she smiled brightly, much more like her old self. "So. I guess next would be Asuna. Did you message her too, Ryner?"

Ryner shrugged. "Didn't have to. She's already here."

"Great. Let's go find her."

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Kirito asked.

The former thief pursed her lips in thought. "I suppose you're allowed to come." She said, suddenly sounding formal. "I bet you're just using this as an excuse to see Asuna, though."

Kirito's cheeks went slightly red. "What? No I'm not!"

The girl shrugged, a smirk playing at her lips. "I can't blame you, I mean, she's pretty hot."

"That-That has nothing to do with this!"

"Ha! So you _admit _that you think she's attractive!"

"Stop putting words in my mouth!"

A hand suddenly clapped Kirito's shoulder. "Good luck, man." Ryner sighed. He had worked closely with Asuna long enough to know what kind of person she was. The vice-commander was strong and beautiful, sure, with a great sense of duty to help and protect others, but she tended to take things a little seriously, even too literally at times. Not to mention she could be intimidating when she wanted to be. She would be a difficult one.

Kirito looked at the other male, his expression showing just how horrified he was. "What?"

Felicita just gave him a thumbs up, feeling very amused by his embarrassment. As they began to walk, Kirito was quiet, deep within his own thoughts. After a while, Felicita noticed how broody he was and turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised.

"What's up, Kirito-kun?"

His eyes slightly narrowed, as if he were still thinking, Kirito finally answered, "Aren't I on your friends list? Couldn't you have found me that way?"

The girl froze mid-step, her brain going blank for a few seconds. Then, as if realizing she were an idiot, she face-palmed. At this, Kirito smirked, knowing that he had gotten her back. Fel saw his smug face and just continued to walk, more like stomp, down the hall.

"Shut up, Kirito."

A few minutes later, the trio found themselves outside one of the KoB's many meeting rooms. Peeking through the doorway, Felicita could see that Asuna was indeed inside. Her back was facing them though, and Fel could only tell it was her by her hair and the silver rapier at her side. The girl in gray glanced at the boys behind her, a sheepish smile on her face. Ryner just crossed his arms and stood firmly in her way, as knowing that she was considering an escape. Kirito, on the other hand, had a hand on his hip, an eyebrow raised as if to ask 'well?'

With a sigh, the girl conceded defeat and slowly made her way into the room. Almost immediately, eyes snapped to her, and she felt herself shrink at the hostility of them. Ryner may have thought that she was a human being, but that didn't mean that these guys did.

Speaking of Ryner, the knight saw his colleagues' glares and went to stand in their line of sight, sending a glare of his own their way. When they noticed him, they looked at him briefly before going back to their tasks.

"Come on." Ryner muttered, encouragingly nudging Felicita onward. The girl nodded gratefully and began to walk. She blinked as she noticed how Kirito and Ryner were walking on either side of her, almost as if they were her bodyguards.

Finally, they reached the Lightning Flash as she was just finishing up a conversation with one of her subordinates. Apparently, they were almost done organizing their little subjugation force.

"Um… Asuna?"

The girl stopped what she was doing at that voice, and turned to find Felicita standing there, one hand fingering the hilt of the knife at her side. Asuna glanced up to see Ryner and Kirito there as well, before looking down at the small girl again.

"Felicita?"

"Hey." The girl replied awkwardly. "Listen, uh, I just wanted to apologize for how I've been acting lately. It was rude and I shouldn't have—_oof_." Suddenly, she found herself crushed against Asuna's red and white armor.

"You know what? It's fine. I'm just glad that you're doing better."

Felicita just blinked, standing there unsure of what to do. How could Ryner, Kirito, _and _Asuna forgive her so easily? Everyone else believed that she was a monster, yet these people still seemed to think that she was someone worth caring about… _I'm really lucky to have friends like this, _the girl thought to herself. _Great, now I feel like crying._

A few moments later, Asuna was smiling as she let her friend go. Felicita blinked a few times as she looked up at the Lightning Flash. "I guess… no hard feelings then?"

Asuna shook her head. "Nope. None."

Felicita sighed in relief. "Good. I'm glad."

"You got a problem or something?"

The girls whipped their heads around in the direction of the voice to see Ryner, his hand on the sword at his hip, Kirito right beside him. A small crowd of knights was forming around them, and Felicita could easily feel the hostility in the air.

Asuna could feel it too, and stepped forward authoritatively, her eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem here?"

"Respectively, yes, vice-commander." One of the knights answered. He gestured toward the small girl among the foursome. "That monster shouldn't be here."

Felicita's breath hitched in her throat at those words, her body seemed to freeze up as she realized just how many people here hated her.

"Monster? What are you talking about? Felicita is no monster." Asuna stated firmly. She stood protectively in front of the girl along with her subordinate.

Discreetly, Ryner reached his hand back and took a few of Felicita's fingers between his own. In response, the girl took his hand, as if asking for reassurance. Ryner gave it by squeezing her hand comfortingly.

"We all know who she is, Lady Asuna. She is the Shadow Thief and she has committed great crimes against everyone trapped in this world. Many of us have even seen her mercilessly kill a defenseless man. She is a savage killer." The knight who was speaking just continued to glare between the two bodies in red and white at the girl in gray. "Working for our guild is too merciful a punishment."

It fell silent for a moment, and all Felicita could feel was the pain steadily eating away her chest.

"Her? That girl is the least of your problems." Kirito stepped forward, his cold gaze seeming to fall upon everyone in the room at once. "In case you forgot, I'm a beater. I think that you guys have something more important to worry about than a petty thief."

Felicita's eyes widened at Kirito's sudden display of his 'public enemy number one' role. He was laying it on pretty thick (and pulling it off rather well). He would really do this for her?

"We haven't forgotten about you. In fact, we think that you and the girl deserve similar fates."

Kirito gave a short, humorless laugh. "You really think you could _enforce _that fate upon me?" He challenged, his voice dangerously low as he reached his hand up and rested it on the handle of his Elucidator.

"That is not your decision to make." Asuna stepped in front of Kirito to glare at her subordinate. "Commander Heathcliff made the decision to have Felicita work for the guild. He hasn't given any commands whatsoever regarding her _or _Kirito, so I suggest that you honor our leader's orders respectfully."

In response, the other players just glared at the Lightning Flash, though not as harshly as they had done toward Kirito or Felicita. Asuna was powerful and carried too much authority. They wouldn't dare cross her.

"Of course, Lady Asuna." He conceded, but the foursome got a feeling that he hadn't completely backed down. Instead, he just bowed, being ridiculously formal, before leaving the room.

"Does anyone else have anything to say?" Asuna asked pointedly.

There was silence.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Sighing in relief, Asuna, Kirito, and Ryner relaxed, removing their hands from their weapons.

"I'm sorry about that, Felicita." Asuna apologized, turning toward the girl. "Some of the members of our guild take their sense of duty a little too far."

The girl stayed silent, and the other three felt slightly concerned.

"Fel?" Ryner asked, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

The girl just blinked a few times. "You… guys just stood up for me."

"What are you, an idiot?" Ryner asked, startling the other three. He just stared down at the girl beside him, his dark brown eyes boring into her almond ones intensely. "We're your friends. Why wouldn't we?"

The girl just blinked up at him, unaware that he was still holding her hand.

Kirito came up and gave her a few pats on the head. "Yeah, Fel. What do you take us for?"

"Yeah. It's what we do." Asuna chimed in, standing with them. Felicita just blinked up at them some more.

_I really am lucky… Dammit! No crying!_

Through sheer force of will, Felicita was able to keep her virtual tear ducts in check.

Suddenly, Asuna, clapped her hands together. "Alright. Now that we've settled things, why don't we have lunch?" The others just looked at her as she continued. "I think it's about time for a lunch break, don't you? We should go out and eat together."

When no one said anything, Asuna glared at them threateningly.

"Y-Yes, of course, Asuna." Ryner said quickly, trying to avoid the wrath of his commanding officer. "Right guys?"

Realizing the situation, the other two nodded their heads vigorously.

Asuna smiled brightly. "Great. Let's get a move on." She urged, walking to leave the room, but not before grabbing the strap of Kirito's sheath and dragging him backwards. The boy protested while trying desperately not to fall.

Felicita stared after Asuna, her eyes wide.

_Asuna can be really scary… good luck, Kirito._

Ryner, on the other hand, sighed in relief before going after his vice-commander, Felicita in tow.

Neither of them realized that they were still holding hands.

* * *

_2024/08/08 (elapsed time: about a month)_

A tinkling sound, reminiscent to that of a bell, rang as the door into the shop opened.

"Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop! Be with you in a minute!" A voice shouted from the back room.

In the main shop, a girl with brown hair tied up in pigtails looked up from her place by the counter and her face lit up at the sight of the customer.

"Felicita!" She exclaimed, running over and practically tackling the girl with a hug.

"S-Silica! Hold on a second!" The former thief protested, trying to keep herself from toppling over into one of Lisbeth's many glass display cases. Finally, after much squawking from Pina, and with some awkward back-patting, Felicita was able to get the dragon tamer to release her.

"Felicita! It's been a while!" Silica said with a smile. "How are you?"

The other girl returned the smile. "Pretty good. You? I can guess that you and Pina are doing well."

Upon hearing his name, the little blue dragon landed on Felicita's shoulder and nipped at her ear playfully.

Just then, Lisbeth entered the room, her gloves disappearing as she went through the doorframe.

"Felicita. Hey."

The girl in gray gave a small wave. "Hey, Liz."

Suddenly, Ryner's head peeked around the doorframe Lisbeth had just appeared through. "Fel?"

The girl blinked. "Ryner? What are you doing here?"

The knight shrugged as he came to stand by the counter. "I figured it was about time that I upgraded my gear. Asuna recommended me to Liz a while back."

"Hm. Well I guess we had similar ideas." The thief mused. Going up to the counter, she removed some of her armor and placed it down, along with her short sword, for Lisbeth too look at. "Do you think that you could upgrade these?"

The pinkette looked down at the items thoughtfully. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah. I think I can do something," she said, "Do you have any materials with you for me to upgrade them with?"

"Yeah. I think so." Felicita muttered as she opened her menu. She scrolled through briefly before opening a trading menu and sending some things over to the blacksmith.

Lisbeth went over the items before nodding again and gathering up the equipment in her arms. "Give me a few minutes. It should be ready by then."

Walking into the backroom, Lisbeth laid out everything onto a wooden table and looked them over again before setting to work on upgrading her friend's equipment. She was proud to say that she was successful in her upgrades. None of them failed, and with the materials, along with a few of her own touches here and there, she was able to upgrade the short sword twice and the armor until it maxed out.

When she was done, Lisbeth spread the finished products out on the table, admiring her work. She really wasn't sure why she had taken up blacksmithing in the first place, she guessed maybe because it was just different, but after doing it for so long, she came to be really proud of her skills. She may not have been as good of a fighter as Asuna or Felicita, but she was pretty skilled for a girl in this male-dominated world.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout of "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!" before there was a loud crash. Lisbeth jumped in surprise. Rushing through the door into the main part of her shop, Lisbeth was about to ask what happened, when she noticed something… weird.

Silica was standing there beside the door, her back to the counter. She was blushing furiously and holding a whining Pina to her chest. Confused for a second, Lisbeth looked behind the other girl to see just what was causing her embarrassment.

Felicita was on the counter, pinned at the wrists to the wood by a certain knight in red and white armor. The two of them glared at each other angrily, glaring daggers with a fierceness that would send anyone running for the hills. But the most disturbing thing was the way that Ryner was hovering over Felicita's body.

Lisbeth stared at them struggling for a few seconds, not comprehending what she was seeing, before suddenly whipping around to face the same direction Silica was, her face beet red as she felt like she had just seen something she shouldn't have.

"Do they… do this often?" Lisbeth asked Silica. She knew that beast tamer, Ryner, and Felicita had been in the same guild at some point from some of the conversations she had had with the three of them, so she was hoping that Silica could shed some light on just what was going on.

"…You could say that." Silica laughed nervously in reply.

Just then, the bell rang again, signaling a customer, but no one really noticed over the sound of Felicita and Ryner yelling at each other. At least it wasn't a stranger, otherwise, they would have been traumatized into never coming to Liz's shop again, and that would have been bad for business.

Then again, maybe it was a bad thing that it was someone they knew.

It turned out to be Kirito. He walked through the door, and looked up to notice a very disturbing scene. He just stared at it in shock, understanding just as much as Lisbeth had moments before. Barely a few seconds later, his hand was in front of his face, covering his eyes. Moving his other hand blindly behind his back, Kirito reached for the window and flipped the sign from OPEN to CLOSED.

There was another loud thud as the knight and the thief tumbled off of the counter and onto the floor. Almost immediately, the two of them sprang up, continuing their shouting match.

"You're such an idiot! You know that, Ryner? A grade-A moron!"

"What the hell are you talking about? All I said was—"

"No! You know what? I don't even want to hear your excuse!"

Ryner threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "Fine then! I'm leaving! I don't even know why I put up with you!"

"Because you're an idiot!"

The boy yelled in frustration before turning on his heel and brushing passed Kirito, the door slamming shut behind him.

Felicita yelled in a similar fashion. Suddenly, she whirled on Lisbeth. "Are you done with my stuff?" She asked, trying to keep her anger under control.

"Um. Y-Yeah." Lisbeth answered. Hurriedly, she went into the backroom, gathered her client's things and brought them out into the main shop.

"How much?" Felicita asked as she put everything back either on her person or in her inventory.

"…30,400 col."

Immediately, Felicita pulled up a trading menu, sent over what she owed, and stormed out the door, leaving Silica, Lisbeth, and Kirito very confused.

"What… just happened?" Kirito asked.

"…I don't even know." Lisbeth answered, just blinking across the room in Kirito's direction. "Silica?"

"Well," Silica began, petting Pina as he came to rest on her shoulder, "they used to fight a lot, but this seemed a little different."

"They didn't even seem to notice what they were doing." The pinkette in the room marveled. "It was almost like they…" She trailed off, thinking. After a second, she and Silica turned their heads to look at each other.

"You don't think?"

"It just might be possible."

Kirito looked between them in confusion, the creepy smiles on their faces weirding him out. He was _already _weirded out by what he had walked in on. He had just decided to drop by, since Lisbeth was a friend, when all of a sudden, he caught Ryner and Felicita… _doing_ _things _on the counter. Or at least, that's what it had looked like at first, but then he realized that they had looked furious with each other, so they couldn't have possibly been doing what he thought they had been doing.

_Unless… they're just that kind of couple… No, wait! Where are these thoughts coming from? Off topic._

But now, really just one question was left unanswered in his head:

_What had they been fighting about?_

**A/N: I guess that was a decent celebratory chapter. It turned out longer than i thought it would, which is good. Just some fluff, development, and my attempt at humor. Sorry if it's bad. The next will be a little more serious, i think.**

**Basically, the moral of this chapter was that you know if your friends are really your friends (or something more *cough* Ryner) if they stand up for you and stick by you (maybe even pick a fight for you) even if it seems like the world is practically against you :) Know who your friends are my good people.**

**Anyways, i hope you liked this chapter! For those of you who found this story all those months ago, thanks for supporting me and Fel a whole year. For those of you who found it a little later than that or just recently, still thanks. You guys are great.**

**Review!**


	27. Chapter 27: Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

**A/N: Hahaha, it's been about... five months... Not my worst delay (six months) but still pretty bad considering I did absolutely NOTHING for this story over the summer... Yeah, I suck. Anyway, this chapter caused me a bunch of problems because I had no idea what to do at first, but now that I have it, it seems decent. Thanks to Maria Penner for the consultation! Hope you guys enjoy *grins mischievously*.**

Chapter 27: Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

_2024/08/16 (elapsed time: two weeks)_

Felicita struggled to slow her breathing as she stared across the square, her hands unconsciously gripping her knives hard, the handles digging into her palms.

_Why did it have to be this way?_

"Stop trying run!" The girl yelled as she finally caught her breath. She stared at the swordsman across from her, with his red and white armor, a longsword and shied in his hands. He looked wild, like a feral animal as he stared wide-eyed at the thief facing him down. The girl wasn't even sure how this had turned into a chase when it had been intended to be a simple confrontation.

"You're surrounded! Just give up!" She pleaded, but the knight shook his head.

"No! This is a mistake! I am not who you think I am! Just please let me prove my innocence!"

The girl sighed. "It's a little too late for that. All evidence points to you, Rivel."

"That evidence was planted! They're just out to get me!" In defiance, he stood in a battle-ready stance. "You're not taking me for something I didn't do!"

Felicita just looked at him sadly. This wasn't really her decision to make. Heathcliff gave the order to have him arrested, and the dog had to follow her master's orders. She crouched down, holding her knives in her usual way, in a sort of reverse grip for speed. They were still in a safe-zone, but that didn't really matter if her opponent would resist. She would just have to keep knocking him over until he surrendered.

With a desperate yell, the knight charged forward, his movements turned sloppy and uncoordinated by his haste. Felicita stood her ground, waiting until he approached to make her move. He planned to ram her with his shield and knock her off balance, to stab at her when she attempted to regain her footing, but when he was a mere three steps away, all hope of landing even a simple blow dissipated.

In the blink of an eye, the girl in gray had dashed under his sword and shield so that she stood directly behind him. Her opponent didn't even have time to turn around before a dagger was stabbed with incredible force into his back. The impact didn't leave any damage of course, but it hurled Rivel forward, adding to his momentum so that he landed, sprawled out on the ground, on the other side of the square.

Felicita stood there calmly, one knife pointed in the knight's direction as he struggled to stand. He scrambled to reach his weapons which had landed around him before he was suddenly up again, facing Felicita with wide eyes.

The girl's face was hidden in the shadow of her hood as she watched him, so it was impossible to know what she was thinking. The only thing that could possibly elude to her emotions was the low, cold declaration she gave:

"Continue if you want, but you will sorely regret ever crossing me."

In cry of desperation, Rivel attempted to attack again, his sword glowing purple at the use of a sword skill. He drove forward in a rush of power, the longsword speeding in a deadly arc toward the thief standing in its 'line of sight'. On instinct, Felicita lifted her blades and crossed them in front of her. The sword tip caught on the flat of the knives, the brunt of the blow deflected, but the force still sent the girl skidding back as Rivel drove forward.

Felicita shoved back slightly, pushing herself and her opponent away from each other. Rivel lifted his sword again, attempting to land a blow, but as the weapon came down it was parried away. Using the opening, Felicita thrust her other knife past his shield, turning her body into it to add her weight to the blow. Rivel flew back once again, his sword and shield flying. He tumbled several meters before landing harshly against the wall, the force of the impact temporarily stunning him.

Seeing the white and red uniforms rushing in, Felicita stood down, sheathing her knives and drawing her arms within her cloak. Rivel struggled when he felt hands grab him, but he couldn't do anything to escape with his hands behind his back.

The Shadow Thief watched as her target was taken away, screaming that he was innocent with each step he was forced to take. Having enough, the girl turned away, planning on heading back to the guild using a different route. She would take the long way if she had to, but she did not want to run into Rivel along the way.

Felicita had only taken a few steps when she heard someone calling.

"Fel?"

Looking up, her warm, brown eyes met the darker brown of a certain friend of hers.

Ryner looked at her, showing mild concern with the slight tilt of his head and the raise of his eyebrow. "You ok?"

With a sigh, Felicita took the few steps that separated them to tiredly rest her forehead on his shoulder. Ryner blinked in surprise, wondering what was up before he lifted his hand to rest it on her head.

"Hey, what's wrong? You just caught that guy. You should be happy."

"…I don't think he's the right guy, Ryner."

"What? What do you mean?" He asked, confusion clear on his face as he looked down at the gray fabric of the hood on Felicita's head.

"I just have a feeling. He's not the mole."

Ryner wasn't really sure what to say about that, so he just continued to hold her as they stood there. He kind of knew what she meant, the guy they had gone after hadn't really seemed like the kind of person who would double cross anyone. The evidence had been pretty clear though. Several witnesses reported seeing him going off in the middle of the night on multiple occasions for reasons unknown. More recently, he's been known to act suspiciously whenever spoken to, as if he had done something he shouldn't have. Then, when he was confronted about his behavior, he ran, forcing Felicita and several from the defense division to chase after him. He looked pretty guilty.

Then again, he looked pretty desperate to convince everyone that he was innocent. He was either truly panicking at being caught and most likely killed for something he didn't do, or he was guilty and was trying to weasel his way out.

"So… you know that it's about noon, right?"

"Mm-hmm." The girl hummed quietly, her head nodding along with her voice. "Why?"

"Well," Ryner began, rubbing the back of his head. "It will take the others a long time to calm Rivel down, confiscate his items, and get him in a room ready for interrogation, so I was thinking we could… get something to eat in the meantime?"

After a second, Felicita lifted her head and looked up at him with her big, innocent, brown eyes. "Um. Sure. I guess I could eat. Just as long as we get back before Toma starts yelling at us."

Ryner turned his head away from her, his cheeks dusted a light red. "Yeah. Of course. Let's go." He said in reply, beckoning her as he turned, leading the way down a side street.

As Felicita followed, she mentally attempted to get herself to cheer up a little. She knew that Ryner was keeping a close watch on her as they walked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. It was probably because she had her hood up, but she couldn't really help it, she was just in a mood. She knew that she shouldn't really be complaining, after all, there were probably tons of people in Aincrad who were having just as difficult (if not more difficult) a time as she was. However, with all that was going on, Felicita couldn't help feeling stressed and a bit weighed down at the moment.

For one thing the KoB was giving her orders to handle multiple different tasks for them, even small things like resolving skirmishes and seeking out thieves in town. With those and the on-going search for Laughing Coffin, her schedule was pretty full. It was barely possible for the girl to balance all of those things. There were even times when she only slept for a couple hours a night. She supposed that was completely her fault though, seeing as how she stayed up well into the night of her own volition.

But doing that had brought to light a very troubling thing indeed. In those late hours of the night, Felicita attempted to complete her personal mission, her goal of finding the last unaccounted for member of the Timber Wolves: Riku. There was just the problem of finding any trace of her _at all._ Doing that is what worried Fel the most because she _couldn't find anything. _It seemed that Riku was nowhere to be found and that led to some very terrifying thoughts.

_What if I can't find her because she's dead…?_

Felicita shook her head. _No. That just couldn't be. Riku was so strong—_is _so strong. There is no way she would have died after all this time. I just have to keep looking._

With that, the girl raised her head high, walking onward with Ryner by her side.

* * *

"He… he said _what?" _Felicita asked, not really believing what she had just heard.

"Rivel just told us where Laughing Coffin is!" Ryner answered more firmly.

"What do you mean he _told you?"_

"I mean he _literally gave us a location! _Town, floor, everything!" Ryner practically yelled.

"But, he's not… I mean, he can't—"

"Well apparently he was involved somehow… Sorry, Fel," the knight sighed, sounding genuinely apologetic. "Come on. We're holding a meeting in the briefing room. Everyone with the subjugation party needs to be there."

Felicita swallowed and nodded at the floor. "Right. Let's go." With that, she followed Ryner through the door and down the hall to their destination.

How? How had Rivel actually turned out to be a culprit in all this? It didn't make any sense. Felicita had seen a lot of people who actually worked for Laughing Coffin, and all of them seemed to fit a certain profile, but Rivel was somehow different. It was hard to explain but… maybe she was just so desperate to still find some good in people that she saw only what she wanted to.

As soon as she entered through the door to the briefing room, Felicita tried to snap out of it. She could worry about her confusion later. Right now, there was a mission to get done.

Right now, they had to put an end to Laughing Coffin.

"Fel, I gotta go help prep. You ok if I leave?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead," The girl gave him a smile. "See you later."

Ryner smiled back, nodded, and hurried off to where Asuna and Toma were pouring over a mirage-sphere.

Felicita watched him go for a second, before taking a breath and shaking her head. She needed to get in the game. She needed to focus on the task at hand. In an attempt to make her head clearer, the thief shut her eyes and slapped her cheeks with both hands.

"That looks painful."

Almond eyes blinked as they looked up. "Kirito." She looked at him for a while until she noticed that he was giving her a weird look. "Shut up!"

"What? I didn't say anything," the swordsman said defensively, coming to stand next to her. "But I kinda do want to know why you're acting crazy."

"Nothing."

Kirito raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, no reason," the girl huffed.

"Uh-huh."

Felicita growled in frustration. "I'm just trying to get my mind focused on the mission, ok?"

The dark-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows. "You ok?"

There was a sigh. "Yeah. I'm just ready to finally get this over with."

Kirito nodded. "Me too."

Felicita smiled softly. "When this is all over, we should all totally go and do something stupid."

That sentence amused Kirito, and he couldn't help the chuckle that came out of his mouth. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

It was quiet as the group moved along, armor clinking and footsteps echoing in the large expanse of the dungeon around them. The place looked pretty cool to Felicita as she glanced at the numerous floating platforms around her, but then she looked down at the abyss below and instantly sobered.

If they were to fall down there, it would surely be game over.

No one spoke as they walked, the atmosphere too grave and serious. According to Rivel, this place was where Laughing Coffin was supposedly in hiding, and if that was true, then many of the subjugation party members would be in for the fight of their lives.

But Felicita was ready. She had been for a long time now. Laughing Coffin would pay for the lives they took, the people they killed, and she was determined to bring them justice.

She glanced around briefly, taking in some of the faces that had come along. She could see some members of the KoB and the Holy Dragon Alliance mostly. Earlier, she thought she had seen the Fuurinkazan and a few other guilds as well.

Near the front, she could see Toma and the flowing, chestnut-brown hair of the Lightning Flash. More towards the back, closer to her, she could see Kirito, eyes sharp and face expressionless as he walked on, a certain effortlessly dignified stride in his step; it just came with the experience he's had.

And beside her? There was Ryner, his expression hard-set as he faced ahead in determination.

Once they were far enough in, the company slowed to a stop, and a prominent leader in the HDA turned to face everyone, his expression somber.

"If the tip we got is good, we should be near Laughing Coffin's base. But before we charge in, let's keep one thing in mind: those guys are red players. Once the battle starts, they're not going to think twice about killing any one of us. So don't you hesitate; you do, and you're dead."

A few heads nodded in the crowd, letting his words sink in.

"We've got two things going for us though," the man continued in a lighter tone. "We outnumber them and we have higher skill levels. So who knows, maybe they'll surrender peacefully. Hell, a guy can dream, can't he?"

About half of the crowd laughed at that, but it didn't amuse everyone.

Felicita didn't laugh, she just looked on, a heavy weight settling in her stomach. It was nice that that guy was trying to make the group feel lighter, but it didn't work for everyone. This was a serious matter. Laughing Coffin wasn't something to laugh at. Their skill levels didn't matter, even if they were outnumbered, they would fight hard and dirty, using anything and everyone to get what they wanted. Including your death.

It took a moment, but Felicita registered the feel of a hand slipping into her own. Her almond eyes looked up, and she was met with Ryner's. He was looking at her, a small, reassuring smile on his lips.

_Everything will be ok._

A small, melancholic smile of her own appeared on Felicita's face as she squeezed his hand. They had been preparing for this for a long time now, they had been in it since the beginning, and they would see it to the end.

Suddenly, a sick feeling twisted the girl's stomach and she turned around on instinct.

Her heart stopped.

There, on a platform above them, were rows and rows of black-clad figures.

Felicita barely had time to draw her knives before the first figure leapt down and attacked.

It was instant chaos, swords clashed left and right, shouts and laughs could be heard from all directions, everything was just a blur of red, white, black, silver-

Nothing made sense.

_How did they know?_

Felicita fought off attack after attack, that one question at the forefront of her mind, but she couldn't really dwell on it as she was fighting for her life. She was all alone, having lost Ryner in the crowd a long time ago. She whirled and spun and swiped, doing her best not to falter, for it could mean her life. Fear threatened for envelope her, as the sheer force of the attacks overwhelmed her. That was the thing about red players, they didn't care if they were about to die, they would fight until their very last breath just for the pure joy of it.

That was what made them so terrifying.

At first, it looked like the subjugation team had been winning, but now Felicita wasn't so sure. She was seeing an awful lot of black.

A scream nearby pulled at her attention for a second. Her head spinning, she caught a glimpse of three bodies on the floor before they shattered. The sight was like a blow to her chest.

This was not good.

The sound of a scream and a body being impaled made her take in a sharp breath.

People were dying, people fighting for the same cause she was, were _dying _at the hands of these, these—

A maniac laugh rent the air and a dagger flew toward Felicita's side. With barely a second thought, the girl sidestepped and cleanly shoved her knife backward, ripping it up and cutting her opponent's body in half diagonally.

These people were _monsters. _

Eyes alight with a murderous fire, Felicita charged on, a battle cry ripping from her throat as she lunged. It became just as it had before, where everything was a chaotic blur, only this time, it was of her blades.

Several times she fought with some of her comrades, all in quick succession. First, it was Klein, the two of them fighting side-by-side just as they had done on Christmas all those months ago. Then, she did a split second assist with Asuna, both of their faces vacant except for the dark look in their eyes as they shattered several figures into shining polygons. Suddenly, Fel was back to back with Kirito, each of them driven by fury and hatred toward these bastards who dared kill innocent people that hadn't deserved their fates.

Finally, the girl caught a glimpse of Ryner's face through the infinite number of faces, and a wave of relief washed over her. She was glad to know that he was alive.

Suddenly, something caught Felicita's leg, and before she knew what was happening, her feet were pulled out from under her and she was yanked along the ground. Panicking, Felicita reached down to her ankle and swiped at whatever had grabbed ahold of her. She was immediately released, but didn't relax as she stood up, realizing that she had been drawn away from the battle.

"Here we are again, Felicita."

At the voice, she whirled around and was met with the familiar face of PoH.

Felicita's grip tightened on her blades as she glared. She didn't bother striking up a conversation, she just lunged forward, a growl ripping from her throat and her knives flashing.

Under his hood, Felicita could just see PoH smirk before suddenly whipping his knife out and catching her blades on his. Sparks flew as the two pushed against each other, Felicita's teeth clenched as she glared daggers at the almost mocking smile on that murderous bastard's face.

He _caused this! He caused all this death and suffering and for _what?! _To fuel his sick and twisted need for entertainment? To feel acknowledged? Worshipped? Immortalized?_

"You sick bastard," Felicita growled. "You evil, twisted bastard."

"Now, now. Don't be so rude when greeting old friends."

"We are _not _friends!" the girl spat before shoving away, jumping back and landing in a crouch.

PoH faked offense. "After all we've been through? Surely not."

"'After all we've been through' _my ass! _You've caused nothing but _pain!"_

The red player laughed. "It's funny that you say that… Tell me, Felicita, do you have any idea what my name stands for?"

The girl just continued to stare at him, trying to think of what to say, but couldn't come up with anything. Briefly, she glanced down at the battlefield, for she had somehow been taken to a platform above the main fight. It surely looked like chaos down there…

PoH smiled wickedly. "It stands for 'Prince of Hell.'"

Those three words sent a shiver down Felicita's spine as they registered in her brain.

That fit him perfectly. He practically _existed _to raise hell.

And then he ruled it with an iron fist.

_But not anymore. _

Felicita's hands gripped her knives tightly, anger and determination boiling up inside her.

_Whatever it takes… he needs to be stopped._

PoH watched as the girl trembled, slightly amused. "Does it really scare you that much, little girl?"

"No… Not at all," she responded, her voice shaking, but not from fear as PoH thought. When she looked up, giving him a full view of the murderous intent in her eyes, he was truly intrigued. "It makes me want to kill you."

PoH chuckled darkly. Yes, there it was. This was why he had found her so interesting. "Really? Why don't you prove that to me then?"

"Gladly," Felicita muttered before springing toward him once again.

PoH Just calmly awaited her arrival, holding his weapon straight above him, as if declaring it official:

"It's Showtime."

Metal screeched as blades clashed and yells rent the air. Felicita just continued to lunge and slash with a fury that left her almost unrecognizable. She didn't want to have to kill anymore, but if she had to sacrifice her own sentiments for others, so be it. This man had to be stopped before more people got hurt.

The fight didn't last long, but it seemed to drag on forever, and before Felicita knew it, she was panting more out of frustration than fatigue. It seemed that every time she even came close to scratching him, he weaseled his way to safety and parried her blow. No damage was done and no true blows were exchanged, all were either glancing or deflected.

Felicita knew that it was possible they would fight like this for hours, but she couldn't go with that option. For one, her endurance seemed to be running out faster than his. She was starting to feel exhausted, sluggish, but PoH still seemed to have as much energy as when they had started.

If she went down before him, this would all be for nothing.

Her mind started to race in desperation. What could she do? How could she end this with certainty that he wouldn't make it out?

Suddenly, it struck her.

_If I can't take him out first, then we go out at the same time._

Goal now in mind, Felicita began to drive PoH backward, just as she had done to Asuna that fateful day of their first meeting (oh how that seemed so long ago). She did so skillfully, artfully, trying not to give away her plan.

Just as she got him to the edge, however, he caught her off guard. With an effortless swipe, the red player knocked her blades away and kicked her to the floor. Her knives clattering out of her sight, Felicita lay defenseless on the ground, staring up as her opponent bore down on her with his knife. With a forceful thrust, PoH stabbed his knife downward, impaling the girl's shoulder.

Felicita involuntarily screamed in pain, feeling the weapon impale her and watching as her yellow health slowly slide closer to the red.

PoH just grinned down at her, his expression not as wild as Agate's had been long ago, but still had an almost cold, feral insanity.

"I suppose you really couldn't prove it, could you?" the man simpered, that mad expression still on his face.

Felicita just grimaced, knowing that with her luck, he probably _would _be the one to survive this.

"You wanna bet?" she asked. Before PoH could absorb her words, however, Felicita grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him to the side, casting him over the void of darkness below along with her.

A jolt went through Felicita's chest as she felt weightless. She briefly caught a glimpse of the vast void of darkness below her before shutting her eyes tightly, knowing full well what would happen to her.

_This is the end._

Suddenly, something hard slammed into her, sending both of them tumbling through the air with no sense of direction. This jarred Felicita even more, and she let out a sharp, involuntary gasp, her eyes squeezing shut even tighter. Before she knew it, they hit the ground and were tumbling across it.

Felicita was so tense, she barely registered when the movement finally slid to a halt. When she finally did open her eyes, she caught sight of her hands, clenching tightly against a white, metallic material.

"Are… you ok?"

The girl's head lifted, and she came to stare into a familiar pair of dark brown eyes.

"R-Ryner?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Hey, Fel."

"Wh… what?" Sitting up slightly, the girl looked around her, realizing that they were literally on the edge of one of the floating platforms, Ryner's head dangling dangerously over oblivion. "You… caught me?"

"Uh. I guess I did."

"Wh—but—why would you do that?!"

Ryner blinked at her suddenly raised tone. "What are you—?"

But she didn't let him finish.

"Why the hell would you _do _that, Ryner?! You could have _died!" _she shoved at his chest in anger. "I was literally _falling to my death! _What if something went wrong? What if you had missed? Then we _both _would have fallen to our deaths! That's so—you're just—ugh! Stupid! You already died once! You got a second chance and you can't waste that after everything we've been through, everything that's happened! It's completely illogical! Not everyone is lucky enough to be resurrected! Why would you—? Ugh! I just don't understand why you would possibly—!"

"Stop talking."

Felicita finally registered the warm feeling of Ryner's hands against her cheeks. She was about to cuss him out and go on ranting about his stupidity, but the sudden soft, warm feeling against her lips stopped her in her tracks. Her mind went unusually blank, and all she could do was stare at Ryner's unusually close face. She could feel his large, warm hands holding her close, gently, tenderly. For what felt like hours, she was just stuck there, frozen in shock at what was happening, like her brain was having a hard time processing what exactly was happening.

Before she could even remember to breathe, Ryner had pulled away, his forehead resting on hers and his cheeks slightly flushed, but he had a soft, content smile on his face, his eyes closed, like he didn't regret what he had just done at all.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that for."

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what?" Felicita practically squeaked as she bolted upright, her face a bright red. "But-but I thought you liked—"

"Kinade?" Ryner finished for her. When Fel didn't say anything, he sighed through his nose and sat up, looking thoughtful. "I've been thinking about that… I think that I never really _loved _her. I mean, I _admired_ her and she was a good friend, but that was it. She was a good friend, she was strong, and I just confused my admiration for her with love. But you," he looked up then, right into Felicita's wide eyes. "You were the one I loved, even if I didn't consciously admit it. I actually liked spending time with you, whereas with Kinade, every time we hung out felt kind of awkward and forced. With you, everything just feels… natural."

Felicita just continued to stare, his words slowly sinking in.

_So… after all this time… he actually _likes me? _That… This can's be true, can it? But he's sitting right in front of me and-and he's got that smile on his face that he gets whenever he's nervous about something and I think he just kissed me so—Wait… DID HE ACTUALLY JUST KISS ME?!_

If possible, Felicita turned a brighter shade of red and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Um," Ryner began, starting to regret his impulsiveness. He had wanted to do anything other than make things awkward between them. "Sorry. That was sudden. I probably shouldn't have done that. We can just pretend this never happened."

"No!" Felicita said quickly. "It's fine! I mean…" She seemed to shrink down, hiding her embarrassment behind her hands as her voice got smaller. "I kind of like you too."

Ryner stared at her for a full minute. "…Really?"

Timidly, Felicita dropped her hands and nodded. "Y-yeah. It's just… y-you took my first kiss."

"Really?" Ryner asked again, the pitch of his voice slightly higher than normal. When Felicita nodded once more, a smirk appeared on his face. "Well I gave you mine."

Felicita blushed fiercely, and Ryner couldn't help but find it adorable.

"So… do you mind if I give you my second one?"

"What… What kind of line is that?!" Felicita finally burst, her flustered embarrassment getting the best of her. "You're like some cheesy character from an anime or a shoujou manga or something! No one says these kinds of things in real life! What the hell! That's like—like not even cool-sounding! You could have at least—!"

Ryner couldn't help but chuckle softly at her rambling before wrapping his arms around her waist, practically pulling her into his lap as he placed their faces so close together. "You really need to learn when to stop talking," he informed her before putting his lips on hers, effectively silencing her.

…_He knows he could just tell me to shut up right? _Felicita thought to herself as she registered the kiss, this time with a great deal less shock. But as she felt her arms circle around his neck of their own accord, deepening the kiss, she found that she really didn't mind this method.

* * *

**A/N: OMG FINALLY! I have literally been waiting over a year to write that scene! This ship was planned from the start guys, and I am ecstatic that I finally made it happen! I know a lot of you guys have been eagerly awaiting this as well. I hope you like how it turned out, cuz I do :D**

**Also, quick announcement. I am only planning on this story having ten more chapters at the most, the least being seven mostly because I need this to end already. Don't get me wrong, I love Fel and Ryner and everybody, but this has been going on for over a year and it's getting harder and harder to find the motivation to write. So, while I kind of have said motivation, I will focus on getting my two earliest fics done so I can focus on my more recently created projects and maybe start some new ones. That means updates should happen more frequently, though I'm not guaranteeing anything (AP classes are a pain).**

**Disclaimer: Of course I don't own SAO, but I also don't own the dialogue that HDA guy said right before the ambush. That I borrowed from the dubbed version of SAO II.**

**Please review!**


	28. Chapter 28: No Regrets

Chapter 28: No Regrets

**A/N: HOLY CRAP! Did I get this out in only two months?**

The dungeon was quiet as players milled about on the large, floating platform, a mixture of black, white, red, and silver mingling in the semi-darkness. Hardly anyone was moving. Most just sat there, looking off into some distant world, shadows over their faces as they were lost in thought. Others did that standing. Some moved about, their expressions hard-set as they went about their business, giving muttered orders and taking players in darker clothing out of sight.

Felicita stood at the center of it all, her face grim as she looked around at the scene. In all honesty, she could hardly believe any of this. She knew before the raid that facing Laughing Coffin would be dangerous, but she had never expected _this_ outcome.

They had just finished a head count, and to everyone's shock, thirty-two people had died. The majority had been red players, but elevenof them had been members of the subjugation team. _Eleven. _They hadn't lost any players, let alone _that_ many in the last several _boss_ raids and Laughing Coffin did that in _one ambush_.

Taking a breath, Felicita took a step forward. She wasn't really sure what she was looking for, but she just had a feeling that there was something she needed to do right now, somewhere she needed to be. She walked at a slow, light pace, her footsteps barely making a sound as she went. Her eyes darted around as well, letting her take in the many faces of her downtrodden comrades. She felt her heart go out to them, seeing the anguish on their faces and in their eyes. She knew what they were feeling all too well.

A familiar face caught her attention as her eyes scanned over it. Ryner was talking with some of his guild mates, the same looks on their faces as everyone else's. They exchanged a few words, Ryner gesturing with a small tilt of his head in a direction. The others nodded solemnly before going off, not saying another word.

With them gone, Ryner suddenly noticed Felicita several meters away. Seeing her, he gave a soft smile, lifting his hand in a small wave. Felicita returned the gesture, the corner of her lips tilting up in a somber half-smile as her petite hand waved back.

The two of them left it at that as Ryner moved away, Felicita knowing he had a duty to get back to. She was just on her way to go back to finding something purposeful to preoccupy herself with when another familiar figure caught her eye. Now that Ryner had left, Felicita could easily see the signature black cloak and hair of her fellow solo player, Kirito. Her small smile returned for a brief moment when she saw him there, alive. But before she could take a step toward him, however, she froze. A foreboding feeling filled her chest as she stared at his face. She couldn't see his eyes, his bangs covering them in shadow, but she _could _see that something wasn't right with him. She watched, her eyes searching as Kirito stood there, unmoving, as a few Knights were walking by, a person shrouded in black between them. Before they passed completely by him, the red player stopped, as if he wanted to say something. Kirito immediately cut him off, as if sensing what he had intended to do. Felicita could see his mouth move, but she couldn't hear what he said. She could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fists clenched tightly by his sides...

When the others were gone and Kirito finally felt alone again, he continued to stand there, stalk still, his mind wandering in a trail of dark thoughts. When he did eventually start to move again, he had only gone a few steps before he noticed the girl in his field of vision, not directly in his path, but beside it. She was shorter than him, the top of her head, he knew, only a few inches above his shoulder. She wore dark gray clothes, her almond-colored eyes and matching hair making her stand out to him. Her hood was down, and as he came to stand beside her, she didn't meet his gaze.

He couldn't make himself keep walking, no matter how hard he tried, so he stopped, the sound of his footsteps ceasing as he stood next to her, each of them looking in opposite directions. They stood there silently for a long time, each letting the presence of the other sink in for the moment. Kirito was glad to know that she was alive, but for now, he couldn't fully appreciate that feeling. Now, he just felt hollow, disgusted.

"…What's done is done," a low murmur said beside him. "What happened is in the past and we all did what we felt needed to be done. We all made choices, and we can't afford to regret any of them now, otherwise… this would all mean nothing."

Kirito stood there for several more seconds, his brain taking in the words that had just been spoken to him. He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder, a gentle warmth spreading through his coat for a fleeting moment before it was gone, the girl stepping forward, disappearing from his sight.

…_No regrets, huh?_

It was then that Kirito took his own step forward, then another, taking one decisive step at a time as he moved on, the girl's words still echoing on in his head.

* * *

_2024/08/23 (elapsed time: one week)_

A pinging sound woke Felicita that morning, bringing her out of a peaceful sleep with a small groan. She really didn't want to wake up, but she knew that she had to anyway as she opened her eyes. In front of her, a notification from her alarm was going off, telling her to wake up for work that day.

With a small sigh, she lifted her hand, her finger going to poke the notification and swipe it away. She yawned, raising her arms up in the air to stretch out of habit more than need/stiff muscles. In no time, she had swung her feet down and stood up, padding across the floor of her "living space" in her bare feet.

She glanced around the room, wincing inwardly as she sat at her dining table. It's not that she hated her current place of residence; a more accurate word for her feelings would be "indifferent," but even then, you would have to modify it with something like "ashamed". It was very small, only one room big enough to hold a bed, a table, and a few chairs before it began to look crowded. She tried to at least keep it clean, but the natural look of the place defeated the purpose. The walls were a dull yellow, cracked in places with some weird stains here and there. The floor wasn't much better, looking like mildewed concrete (it had taken her awhile to feel comfortable walking across it in bare feet, finally convincing herself that this was a virtual world and she would not contract some weird disease even if she licked the cobblestone streets of every back alley in Aincrad). Not to mention this place was basically _way _out of the way of civilization, in the alley behind an alley of a very low floor that hardly anyone went to anymore (13).

With a sigh, she swiped her hand and got out her breakfast for the day, some bread and cheese, and looked through her messages. Due to her "salary," she had far gotten used to lodgings like this, but really, she wished a little wistfully that she could live somewhere nicer. She supposed it wasn't that bad though, considering she only came here to sleep. At least it was better than her old habit of sleeping in trees.

When she had finished, she stood, not really looking forward to working but knowing she had to do it regardless. With a few taps to her menu, she was fully dressed, her usual cloak around her shoulders and her daggers at her sides. She began to make a mental schedule in her head as she made her way to the door, not paying attention as she pulled it open.

"Hey, Fel."

The girl's eyes widened, and for a second she just stared at her unexpected guest. Suddenly, a small squeak escaped her mouth, and before anyone could say anything else, she had slammed the door shut, her back flat against it.

"Uh. Fel?" There were a few knocks on the door as Felicita stood there, staring at her wall with wide eyes. She had never been visited by _anyone _like this before. She wasn't even sure anyone knew where she lived. Well now she did, and really, she had been hoping no one would ever know.

Calming herself down, Felicita turned, slowly, and creaked the door open, leaving only enough space for her face to be seen.

Ryner was standing there, decked out in his KoB uniform, a sort of amused/confused expression on his face as he looked down at her.

"Fel, are you ok?"

"Well, yeah. Just… I never expected to have visitors. Like ever."

"I can see why," he mused, looking around at the empty street. "Barely anyone lives here. I've only counted six people since I arrived. And that's including you."

"Right," the girl answered awkwardly, stepping out of her abode and closing the door behind her while trying not to let Ryner see inside. "So, what are you doing here? Did you need something?"

"Well, no. Not really. I mean I kinda, just wanted to… um…"

Felicita looked up at him, wondering what he was going to say as he floundered about for the right words.

"We haven't really seen much of each other lately, so I just thought that we could walk to work together?"

Almond eyes blinked. "Oh. Sure. I would like that."

Ryner gave a relieved sigh at those words. "Great. Let's go then," he said, taking a few steps down the street. Felicita gave a small smile as she walked after him, her cloak billowing a little with each step.

"So how did you know where to find me? I haven't really told many people where I live."

"I _may_ or may not have checked your location using my friends list late last night."

"Wow. That's kind of creepy. Not to mention you came to my house early in the morning without me even asking you to. You're like a stalker or something."

"Well I _am _your boyfriend so…"

The use of that word made Felicita's eyes widen slightly, her head turning to look at her companion. He caught her reaction and immediately turned a light shade of red.

"I-I mean if that's what I am now or… something."

Felicita quickly waved a hand in front of herself. "No, no! That's ok. That's exactly what you are." Her face turned a bit pink as Ryner looked at her. "I never really thought about what exactly we were called, but that sounds right, like it fits so… it's fine."

"Wait… so you're saying you're my boyfriend? Is there something you're not telling me?"

She punched him on the arm. "You know what I meant, Ryner!"

The teen snickered. "Yes, yes, I know. _I'm_ yourboyfriend, which makes _you _my girlfriend." He smiled, finally taking her hand as they reached the square with the teleportation dais, only a few streets away from Fel's "house."

"Yeah," the girl muttered, thinking about his words as they walked. It felt weird, thinking of them as "boyfriend and girlfriend," but that was mostly because she had never imagined she would be in this kind of relationship before. She had always thought of those words as silly, frivolous sounding because they were only things frivolous teenagers used. But now that one of those words applied to her, her mindset changed a bit. She would never take anything like this lightly. Relationships, really of any kind, have always been important to her.

Soon, they were on the dais, saying the name of the town Lisbeth had set up shop in. When they had appeared in the town square, which was not very busy yet due to the time of day, Ryner spoke, asking a question that he was very curious to know the answer to.

"So… why do you live in a place like that anyway?"

Felicita laughed nervously, scratching her cheek with her free hand. "I don't exactly have enough money to move anywhere nice, as much as I would like to."

A crease formed between Ryner's eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't get paid for doing jobs, and because of those jobs, I haven't had time to go grinding in dungeons for col very often. And anyway, it's probably better I live out of the way of people, so I don't mind."

"But you should," Ryner said indignantly. "You're a good person and you deserve better than that. I would even let you live at my place—Uh…"

That comment made both of their cheeks warm again.

"Y-you would—?"

"Sorry, I was running my mouth again. You don't have to say anything to that."

"I mean… there's nothing wrong with what you said. You were being sweet, so thank you."

Ryner looked down at her, blinking as he saw she was giving him a genuine, if a bit small, smile.

It didn't take them long after that to reach Lisbeth's Smith Shop, walking through the streets as they slowly began to fill. Felicita tried not to think about all those people staring at them as they passed, their piercing gazes set on their entwined hands. It's not that she was embarrassed (…okay, maybe a little bit considering this development in their relationship was new), but this thing between them was something she had to get used to. And she was scared for the both of them. She was an outcast, an infamous thief turned dog, in a relationship with one of the distinguished Knights of the Blood Oath, the most powerful, most righteous guild in Aincrad. What if everyone ostracized Ryner because of her?

When they had finally stopped in front of Lisbeth's door, out of the way of any windows so as not to be seen by the occupant(s) of the shop, Felicita pushed away her negative thoughts as Ryner turned to look at her.

"Here we are, milady, your destination."

She rolled her eyes, but gave a mock curtsey. "Why thank you for escorting me, good sir. The walk over was a pleasurable one."

Ryner smirked, giving a bow before standing straight again to look at her. "Well I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Until we meet again?"

"Of course."

The knight was still grinning as he bade her farewell. Taking their still entwined hands, he lifted hers up and bent over, kissing the back of her hand, even with the glove still on it. "Until later then, milady."

Felicita's cheeks turned pink as he stood straight again, smirking at her, before he let her go and walked away. The girl stood there for a while, staring after him.

_That is something I need to get used to, _she thought to herself, marveling at how affectionate Ryner was in this relationship. She wasn't one to easily show how she cared about someone else, and to have someone show her affection as easily as dropping a hat, she wasn't sure what to do.

With a sigh, she shook her head, acknowledging that this _was _her first relationship and that she just needed time to get used to it. Once her head was clear, she took a few steps toward Lisbeth's door, placed her hand on the knob, and pulled the door open. As she stepped inside, the little bell overhead jingled merrily, the open sign clanging softly against the glass. Shutting the door, Felicita's eyes were set on the front desk, catching sight of Lisbeth leaning against the back of it, looking right at her.

"Hey, Liz," the former thief greeted, walking toward her pink-haired, blacksmith friend. Instead of answering, Lisbeth just stood there, propping her chin in her hand as she looked at her visitor, an evil grin creeping onto her face. The sight made Felicita feel like something was going on, so she stopped cautiously in front of the table, her eyebrows slightly creased as she looked at the taller girl. "Liz?"

Lisbeth continued to look at her, the grin never leaving her lips. "Don't think I didn't see that."

After giving her brain a second to process those words, the pink tint to Felicita's cheeks returned, remembering what had just happened outside. "S-See what?"

"Don't play dumb, Felicita. I saw you and Ryner walking together before he dropped you off. What was that all about?"

"Nothing!" The petite girl answered a little too quickly, avoiding eye contact. She and Ryner hadn't told anyone about them yet. They had planned to, but right after the raid on Laughing Coffin hadn't really seemed like the best time.

"Uh-huh," Lisbeth replied, a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Sure. And Kirito and Asuna _don't _have a thing for each other."

"Shut up! Mind your own business!"

"Fine, fine," Lisbeth sighed, straightening from her position. "So, what brings you here on this fine day, miss solo-player?"

Felicita heard the slight condescending tone in those last few words, but she chose to ignore it as she got down to business. "Right. I just came to check in on you. See if you've heard anything out of the ordinary recently."

The pinkette's lips pursed together. "No. Not really. Is there anything specific you needed?"

The shorter girl was quiet for a minute, putting her words together carefully. "Remember that raid from last week?"

Liz nodded solemnly, remembering how everyone had returned—downtrodden, their eyes showing a darkness in them that just didn't belong there, especially for people her age.

Felicita grit her teeth, her fists clenching as the info she had gathered over the last week rushed at her. "The leader of the guild escaped."

"What?!"

Fel nodded. "His name wasn't recorded in the roster for the captured or the killed and there have been a few reports of people going missing, a man in a dark cloak sighted around the time."

"So you want to know if I've heard anything about his whereabouts. I can ask around, do some snooping, but you may want to find a good info broker to help you out too."

The thief nodded again, looking deadly serious. "Just be careful, alright?"

Lisbeth smiled. "Don't worry. I will."

"'Kay. Keep me posted, will you?" Felicita asked, turning to leave.

"Sure," the blacksmith answered, watching as her friend took a few steps toward the door. "Um, Felicita?"

Said girl turned back, looking expectant. "Yeah?"

"Well, Silica and I were talking... We think it would be a good idea to have a group outing."

Almond eyes blinked. "A group outing?"

Lisbeth nodded, remembering the urgent conversation she had had with the beast tamer a few days ago. "With everything that's happened in the last week, wouldn't it be nice for all of us to just hang out? I mean, you guys did take down the largest player threat in the game. You deserve a break."

Felicita took a second to think on that, rubbing a hand behind her neck and sucking in a short breath through her teeth. "I don't know… We all have a lot of work to do." Which was true. With PoH on the loose, she didn't want to waste any time not looking for him.

"It can just be for one day!" the blacksmith pleaded. "We don't even have to go all out. It can just be something simple. This _is _a videogame after all. I'm sure we can find something."

"…One day?"

The pinkette nodded.

It took the other girl another second to think over it. The offer _was _tempting…

"Fine. But that's it. And you still need to get permission from everyone else you're planning to invite."

Liz smiled. "Great! We'll do that."

Felicita couldn't stop a smile of her own from forming as she waved goodbye. "See ya, Liz."

"Bye, Felicita!" she answered jovially as Fel opened the door. "Oh, you know what? Maybe _you _should invite Ryner!"

The thief's cheeks turned pink again. "Bye, Liz!" she said loudly, slamming the door shut. She swore she could hear Lisbeth's snickering through the wood.

With a sigh, the little thief began making her way down the street, planning on heading to Grandzam for orders. But she had to admit, she wasn't 100% focused now that Liz had given her something to look forward to.

* * *

_The next day_

Kirito looked up from his seat at the bar, his face showing a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "…A group outing?"

Lisbeth ignored his skepticism as she smiled, going on with her convincing argument. "Yeah! Come on, Kirito! It'll be fun!"

For a moment, he looked at her, his expression dull and clearly showing he was not thrilled. "Do I have to?" he asked, tilting his head to look at the person behind the pink-haired girl.

Felicita shrugged, inspecting her nails as if she couldn't care less. "I mean, _I _agreed to go. I could use a break, to be honest. We all could."

"Hmm," the boy hummed, righting his head to look back at Liz. "And what exactly would we do at this 'group outing'?"

"Something fun for everyone," Lisbeth shrugged. "Silica and I were thinking we could find something. We _are _in a videogame."

"So what you're saying is, we could even go on a quest or dungeon grinding if we wanted to?"

"Um. Well I guess. If everyone wants to…"

Felicita gasped. "Yeah! Let's do that!"

The others looked at her curiously, wondering why she was suddenly so excited.

The former thief was smiling, a glint to her eye. "This was supposed to be a videogame from the start anyway, right? Let's treat it like one to spite Kayaba."

"Isn't that a bad thing to do?" Lisbeth asked, feeling a bit concerned by her friend's idea of a good time.

"She's right, Fel. I'm pretty sure doing that will just make things worse for everyone."

Felicita waved her hand dismissively at both of them. "Why would Kayaba or the cardinal system pay any attention to a few teenagers having fun? Don't they _want _us to make the most of this experience?"

For a second, she and Kirito locked gazes, Kirito still unsure and Felicita looking as if she had already won the argument.

"Come on, Kirito. We've been saying that we were going to do something stupid together. Now's a good a time as any."

"…Alright fine."

"Wait what?" Liz asked, confused as she watched Kirito get up from his chair and walk over to their shorter friend. He smirked slightly, lifting his fist to bump hers.

"We _did _say we were going to, didn't we?"

Felicita smiled brightly, their fists lowering. "Of course we did. Like twice already. And breaking promises is a bad habit. Right, Liz?"

"I guess?" the pinkette answered, sounding more like she was asking a question. She grew even more concerned, wondering just what kind of promises these two made on a daily basis. But as she looked at them smiling at each other, she could only sigh, figuring that if they were close enough to follow each other into hell, then that's just how they were.

**A/N: Yeah, this was more of a transition chapter than a plot developing one. And it was a bit mushy, which will probably continue since Fel and Ryner finally stopped being so difficult. Writing that is going to be difficult for me because I usually don't write mushy stuff, but after all the shit I put my characters through, I think they deserve it. Don't you? (Btw, I was rereading some older chapters just to keep my mind fresh on all the details, and as I read I thought "well shit, Fel's been through a lot!" For some reason I felt an odd mix of pride and guilt)**

**Also, sorry if Lisbeth seems OOC. I don't write about her that often and when I do, I'm never completely sure how to portray her. I think I got it kinda close though. If you have any pointers, feel free to send them.**

**On a slightly different note, let me correct a statement I made in an earlier chapter. If you haven't noticed already from my other SAO fics, Kirito x Asuna is not my fav pairing anymore. They're alright I guess, but Kirito x Sinon is like 100 times better! Mostly because I like Sinon more than I like Asuna now...**

**The next chapter might actually be out sooner with how quickly I was able to think this one up, so I will see you soon!**

**Please review!**


	29. Chapter 29: Something Stupid

(A/N): HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! A day early because I feel really bad about not updating this in so long even after I promised to be better at it. And I'm trying! It still pains me though because the last anniversary was a couple chapters ago and I was planning on finishing by now. Hopefully I can finish the ten-ish chapters left this summer. For now though, exams are coming up and I really need to study for AP. I hope this long chapter somewhat makes up for it!

* * *

**Chapter 29: Something Stupid**

_2024/09/02_

A week later, Felicita left her "house" to walk with Ryner to the town square, where they would teleport and meet everyone for the "group outing". Walking together was a little different this time around, as Ryner had met her outside her door _with her permission_ and was now contentedly holding her hand. It was safe to say that things had gotten a little easier between them, less awkward, especially on Felicita's end in regard to their relationship. She was slowly, yet surely, opening herself up and coming out of her shell little by little. Admittedly, it was a bit on the scary side, but she found that she liked the way things were going.

"So," Ryner began, swinging their hands back and forth nonchalantly. He made it seem like they were walking through a meadow or some charming forest with his attitude. Felicita found it weird since they were practically walking through the slums of Aincrad, but it was uplifting at the same time, so she just let him be. "Are we going to tell them?"

"About?"

"This," the knight said simply, briefly holding up their entwined hands in clarification before dropping them, allowing them to swing with ease once again.

"Oh… It's been two weeks, hasn't it?"

"Yep," Ryner replied, popping the "p". "It's about time we said something, right?"

"I guess so," Felicita sighed, looking at the cobblestone ahead in thought. "But I don't know if it should be today."

"Why not?"

"Well, today is about the group. Should we really bring personal matters into it?"

"You make it sound like a debt or a lover's quarrel." Ryner smiled, amused. "We would just be telling them about us. Friends _like_ to know about these things. Most of the time, it makes them happy. And anyway, if we _were_ going to tell, wouldn't today be best since everyone's together?"

Felicita thought on that for a while. He did make some good points. Their friends all deserved to know, especially considering all they had done for them. But today was, as she had said, about the group and not just the two of them. Today was supposed to be a day where everyone had fun together and forgot about the stress of trying to survive a death game… Then again, maybe sharing their "big news" _would_ help lift their spirits. The kind of relationship like they had was precious in this world. Most of the time, people were separated from their loved ones by SAO. You were "lucky" if you found someone in-game out of the few thousand that were trapped as opposed to the several _billion _that were in the real world. And even then, the relationships you made while in the game were at constant risk of being destroyed if someone's HP hit zero. Having each other like they did and proving happiness was possible might bring some hope and happiness to others, especially their friends.

Ryner kept an eye on her as she thought, smiling as he awaited her decision. "Well?"

"You're right but… how about we tell them at the end of the day? 'Cuz if we say something at the beginning, there's going to be a lot of teasing and then it won't be as much fun," she finally replied. She did feel obligated to let them know, but not at such a sensitive time when a certain pink-haired blacksmith would take it upon herself to make some fun of her own.

The boy laughed. "Yeah. That's true. This evening it is." They had reached the square now, the teleportation platform in view. They took the several strides to the dais and stood there, Ryner turning to look down at his smaller companion. He was still smiling, albeit a bit awkwardly now. Felicita knew he was thinking about finally revealing their secret to everyone. She could tell he had wanted to be open about it for a while now, but he was just as nervous as she was to actually get it out there.

"So… what exactly are we doing on this 'group outing'?" he asked, probably trying to get both their minds to a lighter topic.

"Kirito and I decided to go on a quest," Felicita replied easily. "Though, if you want details, you'll have to wait until we're all together. It's just easier that way."

The knight didn't seem pleased by this. "You two seem to love making decisions and keeping secrets together."

A small smirk came to the petite girl's face. "Is Ryner jealous?"

"…No."

There was a small chuckle. "Don't worry. You and I will make so many more of those."

The boy blinked, staring at her. Slowly, a smirk of his own came to his face and he leaned down closer to her, eyes glinting. "And what kind of decisions and secrets would _those _be?"

The way he said that sent a subtle warmth to Felicita's cheeks. "What are you saying?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"W-well—" she sputtered, but before she could get more than that out, Ryner disappeared in a flash of light.

For several long seconds, the girl stood there, staring at the place he had gone from.

"…Perverted son of a…"

In the end, she sighed, trying to calm the heat in her cheeks. Uttering the same words Ryner had before disappearing, Felicita figured now was the time to go or else be late.

Seconds later, she was standing in the middle of another square. It was decently busy, she would say from a glance. She estimated there were about twenty people walking around, but as far as she could see, none of the ones in front of her were any of her friends.

She didn't have to look far to find them. They were to her left just beside the dais. Seven people greeted her, and really, she was surprised that the majority of them were male. Considering Kirito was present she would have expected for most of the company to consist of girls. Not that she was saying anything about his preferences or what he did with his spare time it was just… how things were.

Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth were there as expected, Kirito obviously next to them. Klein was not three steps away, grinning and talking with his hands on his hips like his usual self. It made Felicita smile. Ryner was in front, waving at her with a smirk that made her blush a bit, reminding her of certain words that had been spoken earlier. And then, there was someone she didn't know. He was tall. Like seriously tall. He was bald and dark-skinned too, wearing green armor and an ax on his back. His appearance certainly surprised her. Not that she had anything against other races, but SAO was released in Japan. It would have been just as surprising to see an English or American person.

They all looked at her as she came toward them, making her feel a bit self-conscious, but she knew them—well, most of them anyway—so she didn't feel the need to run or anything.

"Hey, Fel." Ryner was still smirking as she drew near, and she tried to stifle her blush as she looked away.

"Ryner. Hey, guys," she said, barely acknowledging him as she looked to everyone else (leaving Ryner pouting like a child).

"Yo, Felicita!" Klein greeted with a wave, still grinning cheekily. "Long time no see."

"Felicita!" Silica rushed to her and grabbed her hands, her eyes sparkling. "I'm so glad that you agreed to come!" From on top of her head, Pina chirped happily, like she felt the same way.

"Me too. This should be really fun," she replied, smiling as she looked at her friend. She may have been hesitant to do this before, but now she was glad she had done it. She got to see her friends.

Looking just behind Silica, she could see the stranger watching them, a smile on his face.

"Sorry. I don't think we've met."

"This is Agil," Kirito supplied, standing beside the man. "He's a good friend of mine."

"Hey there," the man said in a deep voice. "You're Felicita. I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad we could finally meet." He offered his hand for her to shake, and after staring at it for a bit, she took it. It was practically twice the size of hers, and that was kind of intimidating, but he still smiled genially at her as he shook. He instantly earned her respect.

"Okay. So everyone's here," Lisbeth said looking around. "Alright, everybody, thanks for coming. Let's get started. Kirito, Felicita, if you would please."

The two solo-players blinked.

"Why do we have to debrief? This was your idea," Felicita exclaimed in exasperation.

"Hey, you're the ones that come up with what we were doing today," the blacksmith defended, smiling slightly. "Have at it."

The culprits glanced at each other, both reluctant to say anything or take the lead because of their generally antisocial nature. They looked back at their apparent audience, then back at each other. Suddenly, Felicita's elbow nudged the swordsman forward. He grunted, looking back at her with narrowed eyes, as if she had just betrayed him, but she only smiled and made a shooing-motion with her hand.

Kirito sighed. "Thanks a lot." Lifting his head to look at everyone, he spoke again. "Right. So today is what Liz and Silica decided to be dedicated as a group outing. After thinking about it, Fel and I decided that this would be a great opportunity to take on a quest in the southern part of this floor. It's an item-retrieval quest that offers a rare item as the reward, but only for the first five times it's completed. It's one of the tougher ones and only a couple parties from the more well-known guilds have been able to clear it, but I'm confident we're just as capable."

"Wow. You actually kinda sound like a leader right now."

Kirito glanced back at the thief, eyes narrowed slightly to say "no thanks to you" before continuing. "Did everyone stock up on crystals before coming?"

"Yeah. I think we're good to go," Asuna reported, smiling, her hand on her hip as she listened.

The KoB second-in-command and everyone else staring obviously made Kirito uncomfortable, so he quickly turned, making to lead the group onward. "Right. Then let's get going."

"As awkward as always," Liz sighed, the touch of a smile at her lips as she and everyone else began to follow him.

Felicita smiled. "He's getting better though," she said to herself. She began to follow after them, and just as soon noticed Ryner slinking behind her. She turned, her eyebrow raised in question. "Hey. You ok?"

He glanced at her, then resumed his slouching and looking at the ground. "No."

"Aw. What's wrong, little baby?"

"I feel rejected."

"Rejected how?"

Suddenly, he looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed together and his lip threatening to stick out. "You didn't even greet me."

"I just saw you." Felicita rolled her eyes. "And what, did you expect me to actually treat you like a human being after what you said?"

Ryner finally cracked a smile. "Oh yeah. That."

The girl scoffed and faced forward again. "You're an idiot."

"True," the boy mused. Suddenly, Felicita felt his presence right behind her, his breath right at her ear. "But I'm your idiot."

A shiver went up her spine, and suddenly her ears were warm. "L-let's catch up to everyone else!" she suggested a little too loudly, scurrying to keep with the group. That left Ryner grinning, and he made his leisurely way along.

* * *

"Kirito~, where is this quest!?" Klein whined, hands thrown up in the air and itching to for some action.

"In a cave near the edge of the map," his friend answered, glancing around at the passing trees for any monsters. "But we need to activate it first by accepting it from an NPC being attacked wild dogs."

"Caves. Great."

"What's wrong with caves, Liz?" Asuna asked, looking curious.

"They're dark and they lead nowhere."

"Are you sure it's caves you're worried about?" Kirito barely glanced back as he said this.

"Yes!"

"Stop leaving us out of the loop!" Ryner interjected, looking somewhat annoyed. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Well—"

"Liz got the both of us stuck in an underground dragon's nest once."

"Really? That's interesting. How did you manage that?"

"I-I did not get us stuck! The stupid dragon made me fall!"

"Yeah. And then I had to come get you out. We didn't get back to town until the next day."

"Wow. Good going, Liz," Felicita teased, giving the girl a smirk.

"You know what? Forget it. If you guys are just going to make fun of me—"

"We're not."

"They're just teasing, Liz," Asuna added gently.

"Yeah well that's not what it—"

"We're here."

Everyone looked to Kirito and Agil who were actually paying attention and noticed the distant sounds of a fight. Blinking and glancing in the direction they were facing, Felicita activated her search skill. Her vision zoomed in, the world taking on a glow like she was seeing through night-vision lenses. Immediately she made out the thin form of a man wielding a hammer fighting off several, snarling, black wolves. He didn't have a cursor, but a health bar floated beside him, half-full and creeping towards red.

"We better hurry if we're going to save him." Asuna pulled out her rapier, her expression hard-set. Then, she was gone, sprinting toward the fight in a blur.

"Yeah! Let's get this quest started!" Klein shouted before unsheathing his katana and dashing after her, the others not far behind.

Kirito sighed. "They didn't even stop to plan a strategy."

"Well that's part of the fun," Felicita said, smiling from beside him. "It's only a few enemies. Fighting a bit recklessly this time adds to the charm."

"Right…"

"Come on, man," Ryner clapped him on the shoulder, a grin splitting his face. "Adventure time."

The teen sighed again, reaching behind him to pull out the obsidian blade on his back. "I guess it is."

* * *

Asuna didn't even take five seconds to make it to battle. Just as soon as the NPC knocked away one wolf, she appeared, her blade driving straight for one heading for his back. The blow connected, sending the mongrel whimpering and tumbling into one of its pack. The others snarled, immediately acknowledging the new threat as she glared at them.

With a yell, Klein rushed in, bringing his sword down on the nearest wolf. It saw the blow coming and growled, darting to the side and moving in for the kill, only to meet Klein's blade with a screech of claws on metal. The samurai stumbled, but shoved back and knocked the wolf down, following soon after with an overhead strike.

Nearby, Lisbeth and Silica joined Asuna in the fray, their weapons drawn and sword skills activated with flashes of blue and red. Together, they took on a single wolf, beating it back with sheer force. Unbeknownst to them, one was circling their rear, eyeing any of them for an opening. But before it could act, a heavy ax swung down, catching it in the middle and hurling it away into a nearby tree. Agil smiled at his handiwork before moving on to the next enemy.

Behind him, Ryner and Kirito finally appeared in the clearing. They barely gave their targets time to turn around as both immediately activated sword skills, Ryner executing a rushing strike that sent him right through his opponent and Kirito landing four consecutive slashes, easily shattering his. Behind him, Ryner circled back and faced off with his wolf. It snarled, its hackles rising just before it lunged. The knight easily dodged and just like that ran the dog through from underneath.

This left Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth with two more. The wolves growled lowly, the five of them staring each other down. One of the dogs snapped, making Silica have to take a step back. Screeching, Pina flew in, attacking it in the eyes and leaving it blinded. Lisbeth took the opportunity to swing her mace down, knocking the beast aside and straight into Asuna's waiting three-hit combo.

Now there was one wolf left, and from its size, it was obviously the alpha. It was almost as tall as a normal person, making up for the height difference in its fierce appearance, a scar cut right across its right eye. It growled, its dark eyes darting around at the seven players around it. Each of them tensed, ready to strike.

It crouched, ready to lunge.

A dark blur suddenly dropped from the canopy above. It was silent, undetected, and with a swift slash of silver removed the head of the wolf and shattered it into polygons.

Felicita landed in a soft crouch, barely disturbing the ground as a Drops Screen appeared in front of her. She had just sheathed her daggers when she noticed the seven pairs of eyes staring at her.

"…What?"

"Felicita, what was that?!" Silica awed, eyes wide and shining.

"What was what?"

"How did you kill that monster with just one hit?!" Lisbeth cut in, eyes just as wide as Silica's. "It still had over half its health!"

"It was a stealth strike, wasn't it?" Kirito prompted, looking slightly impressed. "That takes a pretty high Stealth level."

"Wait. A what?"

Felicita gave a sheepish smile. "With high enough Stealth, anyone can strike an opponent down in one hit as long as you remain Hidden from your target's view. The skill leaves you vulnerable right after you use it, but it pretty much doubles attack damage and is worth it if you time it right."

"So that's where you were," Ryner said, hands on hips. "You just had to make the biggest entrance, didn't you?"

"Yep!"

"Noble travelers, you saved me from those beasts. I thank you."

"Oh yeah. We still have to talk to that guy."

Everyone turned to the NPC, a balding man with age spots on his head and a long white beard on his chin. His hammer was hooked to his belt at his side as he stood to face the party of eight.

"It was nothing. Are you alright?" Asuna asked, stepping forward as she sheathed her rapier at her side.

"I'm not," the man answered bluntly. "I won't be fine until I get back what was stolen from me."

"What was taken?" Kirito asked, standing beside Asuna and looking at the man with interest.

"A special heirloom of mine, handed down through five generations. It was lost many months ago when a thief from a neighboring land came to my village."

"So you know where this thief lives?"

The man looked at Kirito, eyes grave. "I tracked him to a cave just south of here. But it pains me to say that I cannot go on to retrieve my treasure. I am not as young as I once was." He paused briefly, glancing around at them. "You seem to be highly skilled warriors. Would you mind aiding an old man?"

As he finished, as screen popped up in front of Kirito reading "Do you accept the Quest?" Below it was two buttons, "Yes" and "No." With barely any hesitation, Kirito tapped "Yes," triggering a new screen saying "Quest Accepted!"

"Thank you, travelers! I bid you fair luck on your journey."

* * *

It didn't take them long to find the nearby mountain range and the cave entrance set in its side. Said cave turned out to be a mini dungeon, and compared to the mobs found there, the wolves were like Slimes on the first floor.

They were probably a little too cliché, mostly consisting of skeletal warriors and packs of the undead, but they still followed attack patterns that left the party of eight no room for error. It was easy to see why only a few parties from the more powerful guilds were able to complete it.

A powerful blow from the side sent Felicita stumbling several steps to the left, her feet barely keeping to the floor as they skidded over the rocky floor. She grit her teeth as she glared at her opponent, trying to control her breathing and keep calm. According to the HP bar above the monster, it was a "Draugr," a rotting corpse that guarded crypts and the wealth of the dead. Now under normal circumstances, fighting an enemy such as this would be a piece of cake, but when the enemy outnumbered you two to one, nothing was perfectly easy.

"Fel! Feint left and switch!" Kirito shouted as he parried an attack from a Draugr's Greatsword.

"Right!" she shouted, immediately rushing in when she saw an opening. They had cut down over half of the mob with their current strategy: grouping up based on strengths and weaknesses (mostly speed paired off with strength), and that had all been Kirito's idea. At this point, she really wasn't going to question him. If the two of them could just pull this off—

"Felicita, look out!"

The girl whipped around, barely catching sight of a Draugr barreling passed Silica and Agil and straight at her. She turned, preparing to face the monster head-on so it wouldn't interfere with Kirito's battle.

"Behind you!"

And that was when Felicita felt her feet be knocked out from under her. She felt something slam into her, sending her sprawling to the ground several meters away. Her body rolled and scraped against the rocks, leaving her groaning from the floor, wincing when she saw the red gash in her side and the pixels spilling out of her in substitution for blood. Her eyes flicked to her health bar, now in the yellow. The sight made her growl, her hands going underneath her to push herself up. These Draugr were really starting to piss her off. Now they were definitely going to regret messing with her.

Just as she got to one foot, however, an angry yell cut through the air:

"HEY! THAT'S MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU BASTARD!"

Felicita's eyes widened. Turning her head, she caught sight of a red and white blur streaking passed her. Now that was just stupid, running off headfirst into battle without a plan. But it somehow made her smile.

"_Girlfriend?"_

Suddenly her face grew warm. Now fully on her feet, she turned around, seeing the six other people she had forgotten existed, all of them now ignoring Ryner as he practically flew off to fight the monster with a vengeance. Their eyes had widened, Asuna, Kirito, and Klein staring at her and Lisbeth looking incredulous. Agil was just standing there, watching the show with interest, but Silica, on the other hand, was having a completely different reaction. She looked shocked, but her face had broken out into a smile and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Uh…" was all Felicita could bring herself to say. She honestly hadn't expected for them to find out about her and Ryner's current relationship status in a dungeon.

"You two are dating?" Asuna asked, sounding completely caught off guard by this sudden revelation. She had suspected that the two of them had feelings for each other, but she hadn't expected them to act it anytime soon. She didn't think they were that far along yet.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Lisbeth asked, not believing she found out this way.

"We-we were going to tell you guys," the girl in gray stuttered. "But we figured right after the raid on Laughing Coffin wasn't the best time."

"So… it happened during the raid?" Kirito interjected questioningly, though his tone revealed he was teasing her. Quite honestly, he had just been waiting for the two of them to finally admit how they felt about each other and get on with it.

"Ooo~. Love on the battlefield~," the pinkette in the group sang, smirking as she looked at her friend.

"Shut up!"

Beyond their little gathering, the last skeletal warrior shattered into polygons and disappeared, Ryner turning away and looking satisfied as he walked toward them, his sword sheathed.

"That bastard should have known who he was messing with," he said smugly, seeming oblivious to the current atmosphere as he came to stand by Felicita.

"Ryner, you idiot, you gave us away!" the girl yelled at him, her face still pink.

He blinked down at her. "I did?"

"Yes!"

Finally, Silica squealed, hardly able to contain her delight anymore as she ran up and enveloped both of them in a hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you guys! I always knew this would happen some day!"

"You did?!" they asked, looking surprised.

"Well why wouldn't I?" the beast tamer asked, holding the two of them at arm's length and smiling at them. Meanwhile, Pina flew in a circle above them, seeming to squawk in agreement. "With the way you two always interacted, it was hard not to see you had something going on."

"But this was only recent. How long could you have known that?"

"Oh, a while," she answered enigmatically, not at all satisfying Ryner's inquisition.

"So how _did _this happen?" Lisbeth queried, wanting the full scoop.

"Well…" Ryner began, but trailed off as he side-glanced at his girlfriend. She looked like she didn't want to tell the story but, with a quick glance in return, Ryner assumed she gave him permission and began their tale. "During the raid, I saw Fel on an upper platform fighting someone. The fight looked good until… well until she lost her knives and got stabbed." Felicita noticed that Ryner's fist clenched at the recollection, and that made a warmth spread through her chest. "The guy had knocked her to the ground, and he looked like he was going to end it right there. But then they rolled off the platform and… she was falling. My only thought was to get to her. Next thing I knew, I was jumping after her." He sounded so serious now, his voice grown soft as he thought back to that day. "We collided and tumbled onto another platform. We almost fell off again. It was close, but we made it…" A small smile came to his face then, a chuckle escaping him as he continued. "And then you know what she does? She yells at me, the person who saved her, saying that what I had done was stupid, that I could have died. What person worries about someone else after having a near death experience of their own?" It was then that he finally looked at her, a fond smile on his face. Felicita had felt her face get warm as he spoke, his hand slipping into hers almost subconsciously near the end. "It seems that all she does is worry about other people. Never herself."

Their eyes locked together, Felicita's slightly wide with surprise while Ryner's retained a soft fondness in them.

"So… you guys just started going out after that?" Lisbeth questioned tentatively.

This time, Ryner blushed, though not before Felicita did as he went on to say "Well, uh, that's… that's not all that happened."

"Oh really? What did you two do? Was it something naughty?"

"No!" they both shouted a little too loudly.

"Uh-huh," Lisbeth said, smirking and obviously not believing them. "So what _did _happen then?"

Ryner cleared his throat awkwardly into his free hand, not looking at anyone but at the ground. "We… kissed."

"Really? So it _was _love on the battlefield!"

"Oh, that's _so_ romantic!" Silica gushed, trying not to giggle.

"Inappropriately making out during a raid." Kirito shook his head.

"Shut up!" Felicita yelled at them, growing redder and even more furious and embarrassed as she saw them trying not to laugh. It was really quite disturbing how they (Kirito especially) were so spot on yet didn't even fully know it. "You know we're not in a safe zone and I would very happily kick all of your asses right now!"

That immediately shut them up, Lisbeth and Silica because they knew they didn't stand much chance against their fierce little friend. Kirito, on the other hand, knew that he could probably take her if he needed to… possibly, but he didn't want to take that risk. She would be pretty fearsome as an opponent.

Feeling a bit better, Felicita allowed herself to smirk and relax.

Ryner gave a sigh, glad that was over. "Well. Now that you guys know about us, I really just have one thing to say…"

And with that, Felicita was promptly scooped off her feet. The girl shrieked, feeling her heart almost jump out of her chest and she instinctively clung to whatever was closest to her: Ryner's neck.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!"

He didn't say anything for a minute, just held her close with his arms under her legs and shoulders. He glared at the males in the group, as if daring them to do something. "She's mine. Got that?"

"Um, yeah. I think we do," Kirito answered, sounding unimpressed.

"Yeah, man, whatever you say," Klein said hurriedly, nodding at them.

Agil waved his hand nonchalantly. "You don't have to worry, I had no interest."

"Good," the knight said, mostly glaring at the first two males. Then, without another word, he turned and left, leaving bewildered and amused people alike behind.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Felicita shouted, looking at her captor in bewilderment. "Ryner, I can walk on my own!" She hit him on the chest a few times and attempted to squirm out of his grip, but he just wouldn't let go. "Put me down, baka!"

* * *

It didn't take long for Felicita to "convince" Ryner to let her down. With her fists. It also didn't take long for their party to be completely overrun.

"Why are there so many of them?!" Klein screamed, running pell-mell down the path with his sword still drawn. Behind them, a horde of Draugr screeched, blades drawn and armor clanking noisily against each other and the walls of the cave.

"This quest doesn't give a rare item for nothing!" Agil yelled back over the din, swatting his ax behind him to keep the mob at bay.

"What do we do now? Should we teleport?!"

"Turn right!" Kirito shouted, not three steps behind a certain hooded thief. No one questioned it, opting to take their chances with mysterious passageways than with the horde of death behind them. Felicita lead the charge, sprinting toward a wooden pair of double doors down a shady hallway with Kirito and Ryner right at her heels. She had spotted it only a second before her comrades had, and seemed to have the same idea as they had as she made a beeline for it.

They barreled down the path, their feet pounding against the walls like rain and mixing perfectly with the clashes of thunder behind. As soon as Felicita reached the door, she slowed down enough only to shove it open and stumble inside. She flew around the door, bracing herself against the wood with Ryner right beside her and Kirito at the other door as they waited for the others to tumble in.

Lisbeth charged in first, shortly followed by Silica and a screeching Pina. Klein practically dove in next, his feet lifting off the ground and his hands folded out in front of him. Asuna and Agil came in last, one after the other, panting but somehow looking more dignified. As soon as Agil crossed the threshold, the doors were slammed shut with a resounding _boom_, three bodies desperately thrown against them and a pole inserted into the handles.

For several, rattling seconds, the eight remained perfectly still, anticipating the inevitable shock to hit the door when the horde finally made impact. But after waiting for ten, twenty, thirty seconds, it never came.

Being in the middle, Ryner took it upon himself to peek through a crack in the doors.

"…They're gone."

The news made Felicita sigh in relief. She let her back slide down the door, her legs curling up to her body until she sat limply on the floor. "Thank god."

"Why do you think they're gone?" Silica asked, trying to catch her breath as she sat on her calves on the floor, Pina curled on her head in exhaustion.

"It's because we lucked out." Kirito was sitting against the door as well, already checking his map over his propped knee. "We ran right into a safe zone."

"Holy crap," Ryner breathed, slumped on the door right between the two solo players. "We almost died."

For a long time, it was simply silence, the only sounds being that of shifting bodies and their breathing.

"Ch… Ch… AHAHAHAHA!"

Everyone whirled around, eyes locking on a head of pink hair as it tilted back in a fit of laughter.

"Liz…" Kirito started uncertainly.

"You-you should have seen your face when that mob appeared behind us!" she said in answer, hugging her sides. "You jumped and ran screaming with one eye twitching half shut! Like what was that, Kirito!?"

"…What?!"

"I saw that!" Klein exclaimed, grinning and on the verge of laughter himself. "I wish I could have taken a picture!" Finally he burst out laughing, propping himself up on his hands behind him.

"I was not like that!" Kirito cried defensively, cheeks now dusted with a slight red as he looked at the two of them. Now the others were starting to laugh too. "What about you, Klein?! You saw them and screamed like a girl before taking off!"

"I did not! Asuna's the one that screamed! She actually squeals like a cute little girl or something!"

"W-what?! I do not! _Ryner _is the one that screams like a girl!"

"Hey! That was Fel, not me!"

"Don't push that off on me!"

They were cut off by the sounds of Lisbeth and Silica giggling loudly, collapsed on the floor and struggling to breathe. Even Agil was chuckling in the corner, seeming to have a bit of a fit himself. In the end, they all laughed it off, too occupied with the memory of a few minutes before to say anything.

As Felicita sat on the floor, laughing and gasping for breath with the others, a warm feeling began to blossom in her chest. Sitting like that with friends around her and Ryner at her side, her mind briefly glimpsed a distant memory, one where she and five other people sat around a wooden table in a small house—smiling, laughing, and joking like it was the most natural thing in the world. Seeing that, Felicita's laughter slowly died, leaving the trace of a smile at her lips. She knew then that she definitely did not regret this day.

"Hey, guys. You might want to look at what I found."

Laughter fading, everyone turned toward the deep voice. Agil was standing over a pile of crates, hand outstretched for all to see the small, ruby-red ring glinting in his palm.

"Is that the item?" Asuna asked, getting up for a better look.

"Looks that way. I found a body back there in a dark cloak. My guess is the thief tried to hide in this cave but found the Draugr and tried to run. He died in here before he could escape."

"That explains why this is a safe zone," Felicita mused. Safe zones usually surrounded objectives and important items in dungeons. It was sort of like an unspoken rule.

"How can you tell that's the heirloom the man was talking about though?" Silica queried, staring at the ring in awe.

"Tap it and see."

"Um, ok." Lifting her finger, Silica did as she was told and poked the ring. Barely a second later, a small screen popped up that said stolen heirloom.

Ryner stared at it for a moment. "…Well, that's convenient."

Klein took one look at it and immediately jumped, fist pumping through the air. "Yes! We can finally leave!"

* * *

"Are you kidding me?! We did all that and didn't even get the item?!"

"Please don't yell, Liz," Silica grumbled, trudging along the dirt path with her head hung, Pina whimpering occasionally on her shoulder. "It's bad enough without you screaming about it."

"I can't help it if I'm pissed! I thought we were one of the first five to complete the quest!"

"I guess someone just got here before we did," Asuna sighed in resignation, one hand resting at her hip as she gazed ahead at the trees.

"That's so not fair!" Klein suddenly screamed, hands at his temples in frustration. "We could have gotten some really awesome loot!"

"Hey, it's not that bad," Ryner cut in. "That old guy gave us 60,000 col each. Do you know how much we could buy with this much money? We could even splurge on a huge party and celebrate completing this high-class quest if we wanted to."

A large hand clapped him on the shoulder. "I like this kid's attitude," Agil grinned next to him. "What we just did deserves some celebration. How about it?"

"Maybe not right now," Kirito sighed from the front of the group. "I'm beat and just want to go home already."

"You just don't want to go to a social function, do you?"

"That's not it," the boy grumbled, glancing sideways at the chestnut-haired girl now beside him.

She ignored him and continued. "But I have to agree with you, I can't do anything else like this for a while. I loved it, but I was barely able to get the time off; there's just so much work to do at the guild and I should be getting back." She glanced behind her. "You too, Ryner."

"Haha… Yes, vice-commander," he answered, rubbing at the back of his neck. Suddenly, he felt a small, warm hand slip into his. Blinking, Ryner looked down at his small companion, seeing a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Hey," he said, almost in a whisper as he tried to grab her attention. Almost immediately, her round, almond-colored eyes looked up to his face. "You've been quiet."

"Yeah," she replied, gently stepping over some roots in her path as she spoke. "It's just… seeing everybody and hanging out like this… it reminds me of the good old days." A small smile stretched across her lips, her eyes watching and ears listening as their friends conversed and bantered playfully. Just then, Silica caught her eye and made her smile widen. "I forgot what it was like to just play a game and have fun with your friends… It's nice."

"We could always do this again, Felicita," Silica smiled as she came to stand at her friend's side. "This doesn't have to be just a special occasion. At the least, I wouldn't mind the three of us hanging out some time."

"Naaa!" Pina squawked, swirling overhead and finally landing on Ryner's shoulder.

"Ow!" He complained, jerking his head away and rubbing at his ear. The girls chuckled.

"I would like that," Felicita admitted, her tone slightly melancholic. "It would be great. Even if something's missing…" She couldn't help but notice how there was only the three of them. Their little group used to be twice that, and while it wasn't possible to ever have all six again…

"Hey." Ryner squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll find her, ok?"

The petite girl smiled up at him. "Yeah. We will. We have to."

"Hmm?" Silica tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh… I guess we never told you. We're looking for Riku."

"You're looking for her… You don't know where she is?"

"Well, no—Wait," Ryner started, but immediately stopped, his eyes wide as he stared at the beast tamer. "Silica, are you saying you've seen her?!"

The three of them had stopped walking by now, each of them staring in disbelief.

"W-well," Silica began, looking down at her feet as she scuffed her toes together. "Yes. I saw her just a few days ago. I-I'm sorry. I thought you two knew where she was."

For a long time, the two of them simply stared, their eyes wide and mouths utterly speechless.

How could they have neglected to ask the one other person that knew Riku about where to look for her?

* * *

(A/N): Just a small note on Ryner's speech. I know it wasn't eloquent like poetry or something but it kinda wasn't supposed to be. He's not a natural speaker or a "literature enthusiast" like myself or really you guys, but he was talking about the girl he loved from his heart and that made it beautiful to me. Which sounds kinda cheesy but whatever. That's just my thoughts on it.

Hopefully I'll see you guys soon. With Riku FINALLY.

Please review!


	30. Chapter 30: Jizen Katsudo

Chapter 30: Jizen Katsudo

**A/N: Yay chapter! I was serious about finishing this story this summer and I will try my best to get it done cuz you guys deserve closure for getting this far. Btw, the title of this chapter mean "philanthropy."**

_2024/09/05 (elapsed time: three days)_

It had been a while since Felicita visited the Town of Beginnings—or anywhere, for that matter. Ever since becoming a slave to the Knights of the Blood Oath, she couldn't exactly request vacation time with the hours she was technically not earning. The closest thing she got to a vacation was that group outing, and she had only been able to go because Asuna had arranged things for her. So, with all the tight scheduling, she really hadn't expected for Heathcliff to let her and Ryner go off to visit Riku.

But apparently that man was full of surprises.

And now, here she was, walking along the familiar cobblestone streets with her boyfriend.

As Felicita thought about it, looking at the buildings and shops along the street, she supposed it shouldn't have been all that surprising. Heathcliff _had _promised to give her time to search for her old guild mates, and while he hadn't exactly facilitated the _searching _part, he seemed to be a man of his word.

"We almost there yet?" Felicita asked, glancing over at the map Ryner had open in front of him.

"Yeah. We're not far," he answered, pointing to the screen at a small, red flag icon. "That's where Silica marked the inn she was staying at. It's only a few blocks away."

"Hmm." Felicita went back to walking in her own space beside him, that familiar anxiety welling in her chest. "Why do you think she's staying at an inn? Silica didn't say anything to us about what she's been doing… Riku's strong enough to at least grind in some dungeon and get enough col to live a decent life."

"Well, so are you," Ryner stated pointedly. "And you live in a back alley. She must have a good reason."

There was a sigh. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Hey." Suddenly a shoulder lightly bumped into hers. "Are you seriously still worrying about what she's going to say to you? How many times have you worried about it and everything turned out all right?"

"Well, I can't help it," the girl muttered. "I've always been self-conscious about what others think about me. It's not something that's easy to change. And anyway, don't tell me you're not nervous too!"

Ryner ran a hand through his dark hair. "You have a point; I am still a bit nervous, but Silica reacted so well to us coming to see her, I'm not that worried this time around. She and Riku were pretty close even then, so if Silica was fine, Riku is bound to be too."

"…True."

"And as for being self-conscious," the knight continued, making the thief look up at him. "I guess you can't really help that—it's just part of your personality—but try to remember that your friends won't judge you so harshly, alright?" he asked, smiling at her. Felicita had to admit, Ryner had a way of making her feel better about anything in a heartbeat.

She smiled in return. "Yeah, ok. Thanks, Ryner."

They continued to walk together in a more comfortable silence, and in no time, they had reached the inn. It was a small establishment, very generalized in its décor, but that was understandable considering this was an inn on the first floor in the first available town of the game and was run by an NPC. As they entered, they were immediately greeted by the cheerful voice of the clerk behind the desk. The couple greeted back mostly out of polite habit then made their way toward the stairs leading up to the rooms. As soon as they made it to the second landing, they walked down the hall towards a room at the end on the right, the number over it being _108_ just as Silica told them.

For a while, the two of them just stood there, staring at the door in apprehension. Then, taking in a breath, Ryner raised his hand.

_Knock, knock, knock._

After that, it was a simple matter of standing there holding their breaths and waiting for the door to open. But it never did.

Frowning, Ryner tried again, his knuckles rapping slightly harder this time even though the sound was pretty much the same, but no one came to open the door.

"Maybe she's out?" Felicita offered.

"Yeah, maybe," the knight mumbled.

"Well how are we supposed to track her? We can't ask the front desk; that NPC probably won't be much help."

"…Hold on." Glancing around, Ryner chose the door right next to Riku's and knocked on that one. Not long after, a scruffy guy around twenty opened the door, looking slightly miffed at being disturbed.

"Yeah? Whaddya want?"

"Hi, sorry to bother you," the younger male began, smiling genially. "But we came here hoping to visit a friend of ours. She's supposed to be staying in the room next door, but she's not answering. Do you happen to know where she is?"

"Hmm…" The man looked around Ryner, catching sight of Felicita still standing in front of Riku's doorway before looking back at him. "Oh yeah, her. Well I don't know much, but I heard her guild talking about going to help out at the orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

"Yeah, that church that's near here."

"Ok. Thanks for your help."

"Yeah," the man said again, before sauntering back inside and shutting the door.

Looking back at his companion, Ryner saw the thoughtful look in her eye and instantly knew what she was thinking.

"…She's in a guild now."

He gave a small smile. "Yep. I'm glad that she found some people she fits in with."

Felicita let a smile of her own cross her face. "Yeah. Me too." She watched as Ryner walked up to her, nudged her with his elbow and took her hand.

"Come on. Let's go see how they're treating her."

* * *

It wasn't even ten minutes before they were back on the streets again and could see the church over several buildings. And what's more, it didn't even take that long for the duo to run into trouble, as it always seemed to find them.

They were just walking quietly along the street, minding their own business and such, when they came across the intersection. And they weren't the only ones.

As they drew near, Felicita began to hear distant clinking of armor. Normally, she wouldn't have been apprehensive at all, but the clinking echoed and clamored like it came from more than just one suit of armor. Considering they were on one of the floors territorialized by the largest guild in SAO, that was a problem. But before she could say anything, they met the intersection.

The clanking stopped, and so did Felicita and Ryner. Looking to their left, they were met with the sight of ten men wearing dark green armor. It was a platoon of Aincrad Liberation Army "soldiers."

"You there," the man at the front, presumably the leader of the group, said. "I recognize your uniform. What business does a Knight of the Blood Oath have in the Town of Beginnings?"

Felicita and Ryner glanced at his red and white suit of armor, then back at each other.

"It probably wasn't a good idea to come dressed in our armor," Felicita commented in retrospect.

"Yeah, well, it's too late to fix that now," her companion muttered back before turning to face the soldiers. "Nothing of your concern. It's personal business. You may carry on as you were."

"Do not presume to give us orders," the man growled. Slowly, his head turned so that he faced Felicita, and the girl could practically feel his eyes studying her through his visor. He tensed, his hand reaching for his battleax. "What have you brought the Shadow Thief for?! The Liberation Army does well enough on its own to keep order in our territory! We don't need any trouble here!"

"Ugh. I hate being famous," the petite girl groaned. She reached down to unsheathe her daggers, not at all trying to be slick about it. "Listen, I'm not that kind of person anymore, but if you really want to argue with me then—Ryner?"

An arm in white armor stretched out in front of her, cutting her off. Ryner smiled at her over his shoulder, his eyes alight with what could have been a mix of mischief and excitement. "Do you mind if I take these guys? As a man with any sort of dignity, I have an obligation to defend my lady."

"Psh. Right," she answered, crossing her arms and looking away. "I guess you can. Go ahead."

"Great. Well then, _my lady_, if you would excuse me for a moment," Ryner smiled charmingly before turning toward the soldiers. "Alright, gentlemen," he began, casually reaching to his hip and pulling his sword out of its scabbard. "You have insulted the lady. She has already given you a warning, but if you continue to threaten her I will be forced to take certain measures."

"And who are you to threaten the Liberation Army?" one of the soldiers called, all tensing as Ryner advanced, their hands on their own weapons.

"Well… you all see my uniform. You know who I'm with. And while I may not be as infamous or powerful as Asuna the Lightning Flash or Heathcliff, you have to admit that they had to have a reason for letting a nobody like me join their guild." At this point, Ryner was smirking at them, standing only a few feet away with his sword held easily at his side. "Would you like to find out why?"

"Do you really want to pick a fight here? Relations between the major guilds are already strained enough."

"_I'm _picking a fight? What do you think will happen when word gets to my superiors that the Army infringed upon our rights to carry on sanctioned business? Your guild may be a bit bigger, but mine is known for its strength and skill. The question is do _you _want to pick a fight here?" The soldiers stood there, frozen, watching as Ryner lifted his sword arm to activate a sword skill. "I'm obviously not opposed to it, but if you leave now I'll let you off with a simple warning."

. . .

"We apologize for any trouble we have caused," the leader finally ground out, releasing his grip on his axe. "Please go back to your 'personal business.'" With a stiff motion of his hand, he signaled the others to move out. Slowly, they removed their hands from their weapons and marched on, Ryner watching them warily until they crossed the street and were gone.

As soon as their footsteps faded away, Ryner turned back to Felicita with a bright smile. "Welp. Took care of them."

"Yeah… that was actually kinda cool," the petite girl awed at him as he walked back over to her. "Look at you being all authoritative and intimidating."

"Yep. You pick up a few things being in the KoB… It just makes you fall harder for me doesn't it?"

"Tch. Does not," Felicita denied, her arms still crossed as she was barely able to make herself look up into that smirking face of his. "Try deflating that ego of yours a bit or else your head might explode."

"I think my ego is the perfect size, thank you," Ryner said, smirking as he leaned down more to her height. "Come on, just admit you thought that was hot just now."

"What is there to admit? I said it was kinda cool. For a nerd. What's with all the chivalry? It's like you're roleplaying."

"…We're in a videogame. That's the whole point. I'm a knight. It's kinda in the job description. And _I'm _a nerd? What about you Little-Miss-Anime-References?"

Felicita huffed, fully turning away. "Well at least I don't pretend to be some character to make myself look cooler."

Narrowing his eyes, Ryner leaned down even closer, his dark eyes meeting hers. Seeing his face so close startled the girl. She looked back at him warily, still keeping her arms defensively crossed in front of her.

"What?"

For a moment, he only glared. "…I'm going to pick you up now."

"What—AHH!" Her question swiftly turned into a shriek as Ryner's arms scooped her off the ground, spinning her around in a tight circle. She immediately clung to him, her arms tightly looping around his neck even after they had stopped spinning. "What the hell?! What is it with you and picking me up and carrying me around without my permission?!"

"Well, for one, you're small and cute and I like doing it because it's fun. And now I find it to be the perfect punishment until you apologize for those mean things you said; it flusters you and amuses me."

"But how does this help your case?" the girl practically yelled, blushing as she looked down at him from her seat in the crook of his arm. "Randomly picking a girl off the ground definitely goes against the code of chivalry and it shows how much you _are _acting!"

"But what if it isn't an act?" he suddenly asked. And then he nuzzled her hair, making her blush deeper. "I only do these things for _you _if you haven't noticed. That means I do it _because _of you, and that means I'm also possessive and very obsessed over you. Special treatment should not be a surprise."

"S-Special treatment?! This is sadism if anything!"

"Hmm. Sadism you say?" Ryner asked, smirking in a way that had Felicita blushing even harder as she kicked her legs and leaned away from him.

"Pervert! Just put me down!"

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard an apology in there."

"I will send you to the Black Iron Palace!"

"Aw. You wouldn't do that, would you? Not to little ol' me?"

"Dammit, Ryner, I mean it!"

As the two "argued" Felicita kicked and beat on Ryner's armor with her fists. Of course, that did nothing, leaving Ryner simply to attempt to stifle his laughter as he effortlessly kept his grip on her and waltzed around, taking such a simple pleasure in taunting her. They were so busy being preoccupied with each other, neither of them noticed the figure watching them from across the intersection, a small smile on her face.

"You two haven't changed."

The couple froze, immediately going quiet and staring at each other before whirling around toward the voice.

"Riku?!"

* * *

"So this is what you do," Felicita marveled. Currently, she, Ryner, and Riku were standing inside the church, looking around at the dozens of kids sitting at the rows of tables in the room. They were all talking and playing with each other, some quarrelling like siblings, as they waited for lunch to be passed out.

"Yep," Riku answered, her warm smile reaching her eyes. "It's our mission to help the more disadvantaged players in SAO, whether it be those struggling to make a living or those too psychologically damaged to. Every once in a while, we come and help out here with the orphans."

"Well, I gotta say, I'm not surprised this is where you ended up," Ryner commented with a grin. "You were the most giving out of all of us."

"If I may say so, I'm not surprised that's how you two ended up," Riku returned, looking at the two of them out of the corner of her eye. "Why don't the two of you stay for lunch? Or at least tea? I really would like to sit down and talk to you both."

"Sure," the other girl said. "That sounds great."

Nodding, Riku turned and led them along the edge of the room toward a circular table in the corner.

"Were we really always so obvious?" Ryner hissed in Felicita's ear as he walked alongside her.

"About what? _Us? _Maybe she wasn't talking about that but about where we would end up guild-wise," the thief muttered back, not able to look him in the eye. She was still a bit cross with him. After Riku showed up, he had insisted on carrying her all the way to the church even though they weren't even five minutes away. It had been extremely awkward for Fel, but she knew that Ryner had enjoyed every second of it.

"But you're not even in a guild."

"Then status-wise?"

Their conversation ended there as they reached the table. They took seats next to each other, sitting patiently in wait until Riku returned with refreshments. She was only gone a few minutes before she was back, a guy with fiery red hair in tow.

"Sorry, I had to drop off the supplies I went out to get. Felicita, Ryner, this is the leader of our guild, Mikhail. Mikhail, these are some good friends of mine."

"Hey," Mikhail greeted, smiling widely at them and offering a hand. "Nice to meetcha."

"Same here," Ryner replied easily and took his hand to shake. "Nice operation you have going here."

"Thanks. It's not one of the more flashy ones like on the front lines, but it's home." Still grinning, he took Felicita's hand and shook it politely before stepping away. "Well, I'll leave you guys to talk, I just wanted to say hi. If you need anything, I'll be here." Then, with a short nod to them, he turned and left.

"I'm glad that you met the Jizen Guild," Felicita said to Riku as she helped take cups off the tray she had brought. "It looks like it's filled with good people. How many people are with you and Mikhail?"

"There are twelve of us, but there are only seven here at the orphanage. The rest are scouting out a dungeon for more col and items. We like to gather what we can and give it to some of the people we help."

"That's awesome," the knight sitting with them commented so articulately. "Mikhail may be right about what you do not being flashy, but it's just as important as fighting on the front lines. You make sure that there are actually still people around to escape the game when it's finally clear."

"Thanks, but to be honest…" Riku started, trailing off slightly as she poured tea for her guests. "I should confess that a part of me doesn't want to leave this game."

That made Ryner and Felicita blink, staring at her in surprise.

Riku grimaced at their expressions. "I thought you would react that way. It's just… I've been able to do so much in this game that I wasn't able to in the real world. I feel like I found my calling, and going back might end that… but I do remember that I have a family that misses me, so I know that clearing the game is important." At the end, she smiled, sitting back in her chair and regarding the two of them fondly. "Well, what about you two? I can see you've gone to higher places."

"Um, yeah, sort of," Ryner answered, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm assigned to the Defense Division of the KoB, so I guess you could say the three of us work toward the same interests."

"Yeah, I kinda work in the same division too. Unofficially," Felicita added. "It's a bit of a complicated set up… but, uh, Riku… before we go on… there's something we'd like to say to you."

"…You came to apologize."

"Yes," Ryner added, and they both bowed their heads. "We're sorry."

"We didn't treat you right before we went our separate ways. We don't expect full forgiveness, but we hope to at least show you how much we regret what we did."

There was a short silence then, Ryner and Felicita keeping their heads down as they waited for Riku's verdict. Meanwhile, the girl simply blinked at the tops of their heads.

"…Would I have invited you here without forgiving you?"

"Well, Silica did something similar," Ryner mumbled. "We apologized once we were inside her apartment."

"She did tell me about that," Riku said, the smile in her tone making the couple look up. "I used to be a bit bitter, honestly, but Silica told me about meeting you again… and I thought about it. We were all going through a rough time, and I understand. I forgive you."

For a second, Ryner and Felicita just looked at her, at a loss for words. They could have said "thank you", but from the look on Riku's face, their gratitude was unnecessary. She just smiled, as if simply happy to see them there.

"How would you like to stay for dinner?" RIku asked. "I'm sure the kids would like it if two high-level players stayed for a while."

"S-sure," Ryner agreed, Felicita giving a small nod. "We'd be happy to."

"Great. Sasha probably would appreciate the extra hands too. She's the director here, by the way, and she'd be happy to meet you."

For the rest of the afternoon, the knight and thief stayed at the orphanage getting to know the kids and helping out the Jizen Guild. It was a nice change of pace despite the children instantly flocking to them and asking an infinite amount of questions about their inventories and what they did with the KoB. They even asked to see their weapons and they had to do a sort of demo to appease them. Half the time, Felicita wasn't sure how to act around them, but with help from Ryner and Riku, she felt she was getting the hang of it.

Eventually, dinner came around, and Sasha called everyone to settle down so they could eat. (It was then that Felicita's inner otaku came out and she said something about eating potatoes. A few of the kids seemed to get it, but that was really it to her disappointment.) Soon they sat down, the room filling with talk, laughter, and the clinking of utensils on plates. And when they were finally finished, to Felicita's surprise, the Jizen Guild pulled out instruments and began to play. She vaguely remembered that players could learn instruments within SAO, but she had rarely seen anyone actually play before. And the music was so beautiful, it filled the whole room and accentuated cheery atmosphere.

And as Felicita watched, her eyes lingering on Riku as she played a lute, she smiled. This really was a great environment. It wasn't just good for the kids, but for everyone who felt a sense of fulfillment from being there. She really was glad Riku had found these people and had been able to be a part of it. It had changed her, that was apparent, but in a good way. She had matured. Felicita remembered back with the Timber Wolves, Riku was much more stiff and formal about everything, even talking to her guild mates. But now, she showed more of her strong will and her unending kindness and generosity, her patience when dealing with even the most insistent people. That was something Felicita had always admired about her, and she was glad she had found a place to be of use and fit in.

It was people like Riku, people like the Jizen Guild and the kids at the orphanage that made clearing the game so important. Innocent, good people like that deserved to escape this virtual reality and go back to the real one. They deserved to return to their families and the people they loved.

And Felicita was determined to help get them there.

**A/N: Yes, I did make an Attack on Titan reference. Excuse me for my obsession. And this if-y chapter. And apparently the last one since no one reviewed T-T ****The action continues next time, I promise.**


	31. Chapter 31: Recurrence

Chapter 31: Recurrence

**A/N: Sorry it's been awhile. I might not finish during the summer like I wanted due to summer assignments and crap, but I will definitely finish right after that if not soon. **

_2024/10/01 (elapsed time: approx. one month)_

As the weeks went by, Felicita continued her work for the KoB, which, as usual, was a lot of grunt work that felt very demeaning: she broke up a few fights in Grandzam, tracked down a few suspected red players, investigated thefts on five different floors (all thought to be connected), and basically acted as an average foot-patrol officer.

But throughout everything she was subjected to, her main priority remained the same: finding PoH. Nothing stopped her from searching for him. She interrogated over a dozen people, even if she had already done so on the same subject more than once, investigated ten more, and even scrutinized each case handed to her by the KoB, determined to uncover even the _smallest _possible link.

And yet, despite all that, she barely got anywhere.

From what she could gather, PoH was like a ghost. He wasn't dead, that was for sure; his name hadn't been crossed out in the Black Iron Palace. He was only seen when he wanted to be seen, otherwise he couldn't be found anywhere. It was extremely annoying to try and track him down. The KoB practically left Laughing Coffin as nonexistent as a guild could be, leaving no one to slow PoH down or possibly leak information on his whereabouts. At this point, Felicita was considering it to have been a mistake to take all of his underlings into custody. She would propose to set them free and hope they went scurrying back to their master with a troop of knights following close behind, but they were either too scared or too loyal to do anything like that. PoH would incur his wrath upon anyone who betrayed him.

She would bet anything he was having fun watching her struggle searching for him.

But as the month wore on… she found herself less and less likely to care. Every morning she would wake up, cut off her alarm, and stare at the corner of her screen where the date was displayed. Then she would get up, get through her day, and then go back to bed, setting her alarm and staring at the date before falling asleep. She knew it would come. At some point, she knew, but she wasn't sure how she would handle it or even how she would react. And now that dreaded date was finally here: October 1st.

Today was the anniversary of Seiji's and Kinade's deaths.

Felicita could also tag on that that same day was her birthday, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that anymore either, not when it was overshadowed by something so horribly life-changing. She had lost two very important people right in front of her eyes exactly one year ago.

Sighing, Felicita gazed at the date/time stamp a little longer before promptly closing her menu and slinging an arm over her eyes. And that was how she stayed for a long time, merely laying on her bed and staring at the darkness behind her eyelids. Her mind remained surprisingly blank, and she fleetingly wondered if she was even going to get out of bed at all that day.

Eventually there was a knock at the door. This finally compelled the girl to get up, taking her arm off her face and swinging her feet to the floor. In a matter of seconds she was dressed and heading toward the door.

As soon as she opened it, a familiar set of dark brown eyes met hers, a smile not far behind.

"Good morning, my dear."

That greeting sent a small smile curling at the corner of Felicita's lips. "Good morning," she replied, not at all surprised that Ryner was currently standing in her doorway. It had become sort of routine for him to show up at her door every day and walk with her to get their daily assignments at the guild. After a while, she had grown to accept and even look forward to these walks—especially when Ryner showed no sign of ever intending to stop.

"Ready to go?" the knight asked, watching as his girlfriend stepped out and locked her door behind her.

"When am I not?"

"Just asking. A gentleman has to be polite."

Felicita felt the smile continue to tug at her lips as she looked at the dork that was her boyfriend. "Right. Well, come on, Mr. Gentleman, we don't want to be late." Brushing passed him, she began making her way down the street, feeling his familiar presence not far behind.

As they walked, Felicita acknowledged it was unusually silent. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she studied Ryner, evaluating his mood and posture as it had somehow become a habit of hers during interrogations. He seemed tense, fidgeting slightly as he chewed his lip and repeatedly switched his glances from her to the cobblestone. Obviously, there was something he wanted to say.

"Hey. You ok?"

"Um, yeah. It's just… about today…"

Suddenly, the petite girl stopped walking. Ryner instantly copied her, watching as she turned to face him, a small, melancholic smile on her face. "Let's not talk about it. Ok?"

"But… it's your birthday."

"True," she replied, looking into those caring, dark eyes she had come to know so well. "But we both know that today isn't really a day much worth celebrating." Reaching down, Felicita took his hand and took a few steps closer to him. Once side-by-side, she leaned up, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before looking into his eyes again. "It was sweet of you to remember though. Thank you."

"But, Fel…" the knight began again, but the girl shook her head, gently tugging his hand and leading him along.

"Come on. You said it yourself, didn't you? We don't want to be late."

* * *

About ten minutes later, the couple had made it to KoB headquarters and were being briefed in their assignments by Toma. The process only took minutes, and before long, the two were splitting up to fulfill their separate duties. Ryner looked hesitant to leave as they stood in front of the guild hall, but a simple smile from Felicita reassured him enough to get him to carry on, glancing back at her before he disappeared altogether.

After he was gone, Felicita sighed and walked off to do her own work, which wasn't different from usual. In fact, it was too normal, too routine, leaving the girl to focus only on that and go through the motions. And she finished early. It was only midafternoon when she went back to HQ to report. Then, she was released to "work on other projects" which was obviously supposed to be her manhunt.

But she just couldn't do it.

Standing outside the guild hall, all she could do was stand there and look at the blue sky faintly visible beyond the buildings. Normally she would be talking to Kuroshida or grilling one of the other LC members by now… but she refused to take one step in their direction.

Sighing, Felicita finally glanced around, wondering what to do. There was no way she was working anymore today, not like this. She could always just go home… but that place was dreary. The only thing she did was sleep there, and for good reason. Plus it would be too lonely… She could go find Ryner, but she didn't want to bother him, especially while he was working. And that was the same for Kirito and the others too.

In the end, Felicita simply turned on her heel and walked down the street, following the incessant tug in her gut.

* * *

Turns out, her instinct was to wallow in her pain and suffering.

How did she know? Because she found herself on Floor 22, standing under a particular tree beside a particular lake attached to certain memories she'd rather not relive.

And yet she continued to stand there, gazing out at the crystal blue water and reliving them.

She remembered that night all those months ago, when she had taken Seiji out into town and they had fallen asleep under this tree. She remembered how much she loved him, the little brother figure she had convinced the others to take in after rescuing him from a horrible guild she had only recently discovered to be Laughing Coffin…

He had been so young, and their time together had been so short… she only wished he was still there.

Feeling the back of her eyes start to burn, Felicita sat down, placing her back against the tree so that she faced the water. Then, with her hood pulled over her head, she looked out over the lake and sank deep in thought.

She stayed like that for a long time, never moving from that spot even as the sun lowered in the sky. Fleetingly, she wondered why she was doing this, why she was visiting this place after a full year of avoiding it. Maybe they just had a right to be remembered. Or maybe she needed it, maybe this was how she would cope or even find closure. Well, whatever it was, she was determined to see it to the end.

When the sun had reached a particular low point in the sky, Felicita's detection skill went off. Something was moving behind her, coming up along the path from the left, and instinct told her to at least look at whatever it was to make sure it wasn't a threat. But she didn't. She simply sat there, waiting for whatever it was to arrive, because she could give a pretty good guess on who it was.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" a familiar voice said. The light, resigned tone to it made a smile twitch at Felicita's lips, and she quietly waited until the person took a seat beside her, settling comfortably against her side. A face appeared in front of her, Ryner, as he looked into the darkness of her hood, giving her a soft smile as their eyes met, before reaching a hand up to tug the hood down and reveal her face. "What's a gorgeous girl like you doing out in the middle of nowhere?"

That made her scoff, but she continued to smile as she leaned her head against his shoulder and felt an arm wrap around her waist. "I'm not really sure. Just looking, I guess… How did you find me?"

The knight shrugged. "I was keeping tabs on you all day on my map."

"That's still creepy, stalker."

"Well, I had good reason this time around. Don't you agree?"

There was a sigh. "Yeah. Thank you. You're a good boyfriend."

"Hey, I try," he replied, his arm squeezing lightly before silence fell upon them.

The two of them sat there for a long time, not saying anything as they gazed out over the lake, watching as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky.

Just when the virtual star began to set, Felicita stirred, moving away from the comfortable embrace to stand up, Ryner following her example.

"I have one more stop to make," the petite girl said, glancing out over the lake one last time. If anything, this next stop was the most important for her purpose today, and she needed to go no matter what.

A hand gently slipped into hers, making her look over at her companion as he smiled at her. "Where to?" he asked. Felicita found herself smiling again as she looked at him, squeezing his hand in gratitude. To be honest, his support was what she needed most now. She knew exactly where she needed to go, and she didn't trust herself to go alone.

"Come on," she said, tugging him toward the path. "This way."

* * *

Barely ten minutes had passed when they reached the enormous, wooden door of the dungeon on Floor 42. Felicita stood in front of it, her almond-colored eyes tracing and studying every inch of the patterns in the wood. The door wasn't as big or imposing as she once remembered. She supposed it was because of all she had seen ever since that day a year ago, how much she had gone through since then. But it was just as ominous, and she had a feeling it was for similar reasons.

Felicita took a deep breath, slow and steady, before letting it back out in the same pace. Then, she reached her hand out, fingers stretched toward the handle and curling around it once she was close enough. She stared at it, studying the fabric of her glove and the shape of her fingers and the brass of the handle. But she didn't move.

Suddenly, another hand was closing over hers, slow and gentle. Felicita looked up to see Ryner, the knight giving her a small, reassuring smile as he squeezed her hand.

And that gave her the strength to smile back, take a deep breath, and push the door open.

It was just as dark as she remembered. The dungeon was a labyrinth, made up of cavernous tunnels and lit by glowing crystals that seemed to protrude at random along the walls. As she stared around, she could remember every detail of what happened that night, every thought that ran through her head, every strike she dealt with her blade… she remembered every step she took, every word she shared with her sister, every fight... she had a feeling she could walk through the entire dungeon and replay everything clearly in her mind like it had happened yesterday because her dreams never let her forget… but that's not what she needed right now. Standing in the entrance, the place where _it _happened was enough.

For a long time, the thief and the knight simply stood there, their eyes set upon the empty space before them. It was quiet, no words said between them as they took in the weight of what standing there meant.

"…This is it. This is where she died," Felicita said, her voice small and cracking with the smallest tremor. "She found me right before one of the mobs killed me, and made me walk with her all the way back to the entrance. She—she wanted us to talk things out, but I wouldn't say anything. And then, we got here, and she told me that she loved me and wanted us to be close like before. I w-wanted to say something, but a monster attacked us and she—she pushed me out of the way and—" Felicita couldn't continue. She felt her throat tighten as she spoke and her eyes began to burn near the end. She choked up, cutting herself off and quickly lifting her hand to scrub the tears from her eyes.

Ryner didn't say a word. Quietly, he stared into the middle of the room, his dark eyes sweeping it over as if he could see what had happened a year ago. Subconsciously, his hand tightened around Felicita's, for their hands had never parted since walking in, and she returned the gesture. They both had lost something in this place—a friend, a sister, a leader—and they both knew that and respected that of each other.

"…Your sister loved you until the very end."

Those words did it. They triggered the tears, and suddenly they were flowing unchecked, freely cascading down Felicita's cheeks and sparkling in the air until they hit the ground.

"Yeah… she did."

The two of them were shrouded in silence after that, standing side by side, hand in hand, until the sky outside grew dark and the stars began to twinkle beyond the castle walls.

* * *

"Thank you for finding me. And for coming with me," Felicita said into the night, her voice soft as she hugged Ryner's arm and leaned her head into his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, she would have found it difficult just to loop her arm through his so casually, but today she couldn't care less. It was dark out and there was no one in sight or even within detection range who could see them. The day had also been more emotionally draining than she had originally thought it would be, so she felt she deserved to let herself have this small comfort. It felt nice to just walk with Ryner like this, almost like they had no destination and were just walking for the sake of being together.

"Of course," he murmured back, leaning to place a kiss in her hair before looking ahead again. Felicita had let him take the lead a long time ago, not feeling the need to interrogate him on where they were going. "You're the world to me."

Felicita felt her face warm, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have that high of an opinion of herself, but she couldn't find anything to say to that. Ryner had already proven that he cared about her a lot—he had literally jumped off a cliff for her! There wasn't much reason to rebut his statement. Besides, she couldn't deny that she had similar feelings towards him.

She opted to continue walking in silence, enjoying the warmth he provided in the cool autumn air. It wasn't long before they reached the nearest town, following the deserted streets to the town square and teleportation gate it provided. Once the couple stepped up to it, Felicita opened her mouth, preparing to utter the words that would take her home, when Ryner cleared his throat.

"Hey, is it ok if we take a detour? I want to show you something."

The petite girl blinked. "Yeah, that's fine. Where are we going?"

"Algade," he answered, smiling warmly at her.

"…Algade?" Instantly, flashes of information presented themselves in her head. It was on floor 50 and was the most populated city in Aincrad. It was also where Kirito lived and Agil's shop was set up.

"Yeah. Come on, just trust me."

_I do,_ Felicita thought indignantly, but settled with a simple nod and "ok."

Ryner nodded in return and, without any sort of countdown, the two of them said in almost perfect unison "Teleport: Algade."

A soft, blue light enveloped them, and next thing Felicita knew they were in another town square. The atmosphere instantly changed for them once they arrived. Algade was one of those towns that was awake after sundown and liked to host the nightlife and players of all kinds. The streets were still full, even at this hour, and the lamps were lit and bathing those below them in a warm whitish-yellow glow. In general, the city was lively and aesthetic, urban in an Elizabethan sort of way. It was a bit disorganized and labyrinthine in nature, but that somehow added to its charm. Because of that, it offered a diverse and very unique crowd. Felicita had often thought about moving there for that sole reason, that she would for once feel like she wasn't standing out, but she never seemed to have enough money.

In no time, she was walking through these magical streets, being tugged along by her trusted guide and not once feeling the uncomfortable or disapproving glare of any passerby. It made her chest feel lighter as no qualms rose up to stop her from holding her knight's hand.

Then they arrived at their destination, and suddenly she couldn't take another step.

They were at a restaurant, one that was open to the street and consisted of an awning and picnic tables that lined the floor in rows. But sitting at a table near the edge where all could see, were seven people, the only ones Felicita considered true friends: Kirito, Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, Riku, Klein, and Agil.

"Ryner, what is this?"

The boy sighed before turning to face her, hand still encasing her smaller one. "I know what you said, but I think you should still celebrate your birthday, especially after all you've been through. The date may now bring back a few painful memories, but it still marks the day you came into the world. Seiji and Kinade both wanted to celebrate with you before they died, and I think that's something we should honor. They loved you, and so do the friends you have now, so you should celebrate for their sakes. And even if you don't agree with me, if you think that this day should just be forgotten and never mentioned again… well I'll still celebrate it, because without today… If not for today, I never would have met you."

Felicita didn't say anything, simply stared at him with her wide, round eyes. And he stared right back, determination setting his jaw and his gaze like stone. But there was something else there, something that Felicita saw flicker almost like a small flame in his eyes. She could only think of one word to name it: love.

What she did next was done purely on instinct. She stepped toward him, hand slipping out of his and leaving it to hang in the air on its own, but only for a second before she cupped his face in both hands and crashed her lips to his. She had to lean forward onto her toes a bit, but she didn't care. All that mattered right then was the person whose lips were on her own and whose arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling their bodies close. Her heart practically sang in her chest and her eyes stung with the threat of tears, but she barely registered any of those things as she focused on pressing as closely to Ryner as possible.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting slightly, chests rising and falling almost in perfect sync as they continued to hold each other. Neither of them moved very far away or showed any sign that they wanted to, keeping a hair's breadth of distance between them as if that was all they could manage. When Felicita opened her eyes, she was immediately met with Ryner staring at her, his dark eyes alight with the same flame as before, only brighter.

Seeing that, she smiled at him, a genuine smile that in Ryner's opinion lit up the entire street. Then, with a suspicious shine to her eyes, she said "Well. I can't leave my party guests waiting, can I?"

Hand in hand, they walked toward the restaurant and the table filled with their waiting friends. And when they saw the couple and wished the guest of honor a happy birthday, she smiled and thanked them for being there.

* * *

The rest of the night was filled with food, drink, friendly conversation, and the exchange of various gifts. It wasn't too big of a celebration, but just enough of one to make Felicita feel a warmth flood her chest and temporarily drive away any dark thoughts she would have had otherwise. Sure it only lasted a couple hours, and sure she was embarrassed by all the attention and various gifts she received (especially from Liz and Silica who thought it appropriate to get her clothes to expand her wardrobe for "reasons." Maybe nothing that could be considered "dirty," but definitely for time spent with a certain knight who sat next to her the entire night). All in all, it was a wonderful party, probably the best she had had in a long time.

When it was finally time to part, friendly goodbyes were exchanged and the group of nine went their separate ways into the night. As Ryner walked Felicita home, the petite girl held his hand, studying her right one and admiring the ring now shining on her finger. It was a silver band set with three blue gems, the center one bigger than the rest. It was highly valuable from what Felicita understood. It was an expensive accessory and added thirty points to her Defense stat. It held obvious meaning, and came from none other than Ryner.

"It's beautiful," the girl observed quietly, not bothered at all as her shoulder gently brushed Ryner's. The knight didn't say anything, simply smiled softly and squeezed her hand a little tighter as they walked along. The atmosphere was so quiet, so peaceful and content, that she also didn't feel bothered to smile and say "It's like you proposed or something."

Suddenly, Ryner choked on air, coughing and spluttering with his face turned away from the smirking face of his girlfriend. She watched him amusedly, feeling greatly accomplished that she was the one leaving him flustered for one.

They arrived at Felicita's doorstep, stopping in front of her dilapidated home to face each other for a proper goodbye. As the petite girl faced her faithful escort, she noticed the way he glanced around warily as if suspicious the cobblestone was waiting for the right moment to strike. She was reminded again of his disdain for her current residence, and couldn't really blame him for his actions. Maybe one day she would find a better place to move once she had enough col, but for now…

"Thanks for everything, Ryner," she said, smiling softly up at him.

He returned the favor. "Stop thanking me. You've been thanking me too much today."

"Well, you keep doing things for me. I can't not say thank you."

"Well, you gave me that great kiss earlier. That was thanks enough."

The petite girl rolled her eyes, but couldn't pull the smile from her face, especially when she saw his. She easily stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck as she felt hands rest on her waist. "Then here," she whispered with a smile, and leaned to lock their lips together. It was a soft and chaste exchange, but full of meaning and emotion.

When they pulled away, Felicita kept their foreheads touching, her smile matching his as she muttered. "Good night, nerd."

She was rewarded with a chuckle and a whispered "Night, nerd."

The two fully parted, smiling at one another until Felicita finally turned to her door to unlock it and go in. But she paused, unmoving as she stared at it, and Ryner stepped so he was just behind her, looking at her curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"…It's unlocked."

Ryner barely knew what to think of that before the door swung open. Immediately, Felicita's face paled, her body stiff and frozen in place as she stared into the depths of the house. Not long after, Ryner's dark eyes followed her gaze… and came to rest upon what was inside.

Rage immediately flared up in his chest. In one fluid movement, he drew his sword and pushed Felicita behind him. "What are _you _doing here?!" he growled, standing in a defensive stance as he glared at the cloaked figure staring languidly back at them.

PoH shifted his weight from the table, facing them fully, and with the twinge of a smirk on his face asked, "What? I can't visit an old friend?"

**A/N: Cliffhanger! I'm not really sorry. I felt this story needed one again :) Besides, I'm much better at this angsty, hurt/comfort, drama type stuff than the crap in the past few chapters I gave you. I hope things are getting better like I promised.**

**Also, originally, I wasn't planning on this story having a sequel, but several of you have requested it, so I guess I could write one? If you like this story that much I suppose I could try. It obviously will be GGO themed and won't be as long as this one (maybe half length). The idea has begun to grow on me and a ghost of a plot has begun to form, but I want to know what you guys think. If I wrote one, it would take on the same purpose as this one and fill in gaps that needed filling in. Just let me know your thoughts in a PM or a review!**

**Well, think on that, review, and I will see you next update!**


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